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Panel overseeing district backs eliminating 17 jobs, some of them unfilled
By Carol Biliczky
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Friday, Aug 24, 2007
A state-authorized commission agreed Thursday to cut the equivalent of 17 jobs in the Springfield schools the first step in the troubled district's recovery.
Bill Wenger, head of the independent panel overseeing the Summit County district's finances, said the cuts, plus other measures, could total $801,899.
But because some employees with seniority or credentials may be able to ''bump'' other workers, the real savings may not be known for a few weeks.
''You're going to have unemployment for some people,'' Superintendent William Stauffer said. ''Some of the bumping may cause the savings to be not as great as we thought. Some people may not have health insurance through us, so we may not save as much.''
The cuts must be approved by Susan Tave Zelman, superintendent of the Ohio Department of Education, before they can be implemented.
With voters having rejected five levies in the past two years, the district is in ''fiscal emergency'' under state control, with the goal of balancing the books as soon as possible.
Administrators had projected the district would be $1.1 million in the red by the end of the 2007-08 school year without additional spending cuts.
Some of the positions targeted by the commission are open ones that won't be filled. Wenger emphasized that the yearly savings are based on estimates of salaries and benefits.
Proposed for cuts were:
An open half-time social studies position that wouldn't be filled, saving $54,000.
A new position of dean of students that wouldn't be filled. There would be no savings because the job didn't exist last year.
One assistant principal, saving $102,000. Springfield has 3.5 assistant principals; an open position wouldn't be filled.
The equivalent of a half-time athletic director, saving $31,500. The position would be reduced from full to half time.
Two guidance counselors, saving $149,775. Both were re-assigned to open teaching positions.
The equivalent of six full-time teaching assistants, saving $150,000.
One maintenance worker, saving $66,224. An employee is retiring and won't be replaced.
The equivalent of five full-time clerical jobs, saving $175,000.
A reduction in the number of hours worked by the cafeteria staff by 13 a day, saving $30,400. Staff hours already have been cut, so the actual number of additional hours to be cut might be closer to eight or nine, Stauffer said.
In addition, the district would charge utilities for the cafeteria to the cafeteria fund instead of the general fund, eliminating $43,000 in charges to the general fund.
Last year, the self-sustaining cafeteria fund ended the year in the red. Although the fund may not be able to absorb all the utility bills, the cut in staff hours would help offset that, Wenger said.
Stauffer, the superintendent, said the proposed cuts would be as nondisruptive as possible. The teaching staff would be intact for the coming school year. In that time, Springfield will try to become more efficient, he said.
''We're going to look at people as they leave the district, at not filling positions,'' he said. ''We're going to get things turned around.''
Board president's view
Dan Ternosky, president of the Springfield Board of Education, criticized the cuts as a ''further deterioration of the district.''
''These are not just positions we have hanging around,'' he said. ''These employees perform duties. Somebody's going to have to pick up the slack.''
The district also faces more cuts in the future. Wenger said more cuts will be made in April.
The state auditor is to conduct a performance audit on efficiencies and economies a state requirement for districts in fiscal emergency. The results should be available in October, he said.
A staffing analysis by the Ohio Department of Education in June found the district was 38.74 positions over the state minimum in classroom teachers and 14.61 over the minimum in educational service personnel, such as guidance counselors and nurses.
Carol Biliczky can be reached at 330-996-3729 or cbiliczky@thebeaconjournal.com.
A state-authorized commission agreed Thursday to cut the equivalent of 17 jobs in the Springfield schools the first step in the troubled district's recovery.
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