BOE’s 2010-2011 Budget

by Lynn K. McMullin

The Board of Education met last evening at the Community Center to adopt its 2010-2011 Budget. This is the budget they will now present to the Board of Finance on paper March 8th and in a presentation on April 5th. The opportunity to address the Board of Finance comes at its April 7th Public Budget Hearing.

The meeting was attended by about 30 people; about a third of the attendees addressed the Board with comments. Each person who spoke acknowledged the difficult financial times, but also asked the Board to bring forward the Superintendent’s 1.94% budget without further reductions. Concern for the future of the Canton Schools was a common theme.

Mr. Case and the Board Chair Beth Kandrysawtz thanked all of the attendees for coming and expressed their appreciation for those who spoke. They both reiterated what everyone was, and is, thinking and saying: “This is an extremely difficult budget.”

Next, as Chair of the Board of Education’s Finance Committee, Carlene Rhea outlined additional cost savings and reductions in the budget. Prior to last night’s meeting, the Board’s Finance Sub-Committee had met seven times to examine every line item of Superintendent Case’s proposed budget. They had discussed options, made suggestions, and considered the educational impact of reductions in the various lines. There is always a great deal of give and take in the ongoing communications between the Superintendent and the Board.

At the end of last night's meeting, the proposed final budget number was fixed at a 0% increase or $22,283,809. The Board of Education had already asked the Superintendent for an additional $432,912 in reductions to his proposed budget to arrive at that 0% increase over last year’s spending. With teachers’ contractual salaries, employee benefits, Special Education costs, and utilities relatively fixed, there were not a lot of places to go for reductions.

Key reductions will now come in these areas:
Eliminate ½ library media specialist position at CIS
Eliminate ½ custodian position through attrition
Eliminate the Director of Physical Plant position
Eliminate 4 paraprofessional positions

Reduce workman’s compensation
Reduce transportation fuel
Reduce property liability insurance
Reduce utilities
Reduce by two the number of workdays for all paraprofessionals and tutors
Reduce purchases of new technology equipment
Reduce classroom teachers at CMS/CHS through reallocation of staff to teach “experientials” (I’ll provide more detailed information about this staff reallocation in next week’s blog)
Reduce professional development Reduce stipends for timekeepers and officials, Esteem, and athletics at CHS/CMS
Reduce secretarial support

A two-day furlough concession from custodians and non-union staff
Concessions from the secretarial union and administrative union are pending (or an additional reduction)

Please use the comments space below to ask any questions and I will do my best to provide answers.