Wawasee Revisits Budget Woes
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By John DeGroff-
B.J. Roberts, president of the Wawasee Community Educator's Association, the local teacher's union, presented a proposal of how cuts could be made without teachers losing jobs.
In a prepared statement, Roberts said in part: "Due to a variety of economic conditions and political agendas, the Governor of Indiana and the State Superintendent of Schools have implemented a number of budgets cuts aimed at public education...[[In-content Ad]]"In the upcoming year, Wawasee schools are facing a general fund shortfall approaching $1.3 million. Superintendent Edington has proposed a number of cost-cutting measures, including staff reductions, to meet our goal of balancing the general fund budget...While Dr. (Thomas) Edington has done a commendable job...WCEA feels that many of those staff reductions are not necessary at this time...WCEA would prefer that alternate measures be considered by the board to meet the necessary budget constraints."
The WCEA teachers' proposed plan consists of the following:
n Early retirement incentive savings, $300,000 (more if positions left vacant)
n Energy Savings program, $100,000
n Transfer of payment of applicable positions from other funds $50,000
n Cuts from supplies, travel, services, $50,000
n E-payroll, $10,000
n Maintenance of effort reduction from American Recovery Reduction Act funds (stimulus money), $200,000
n Anticipated general fund savings, $710,000 (additional budget supports)
n Transfer 5 percent of rainy day fund to general fund, $165,000
n Spend down current cash balance (cash on hand) by 10 percent, $275,000
n Transfer 5 percent of capital projects fund, $170,000
n Total budget accomodations, $1,310,000
According to Edington, one of the problems regarding possible staff reduction has more to do with contract scheduling than funding.
"Our timing is a little bit out of whack," he said. "We have to vote on reductions (at the next board meeting) May 11. We won't know about retirements until May 14, to know how many we're going to need to reduce. That's why we're scheduling an extra meeting on May 18 to address that situation."
Final staffing probably won't be set until registration for the 2010-2011 school year is over in August, Edington said.
With students moving in or out of the school system, class sizes will remain a variable until right before school starts. That determines the need for staffing as much as any other factor.
"By then, other teachers may be recalled," he said. "People retire, and we can call them back. This year, because times are tough, we've given people who have turned in a retirement letter until May 14 to pull it...if they decide differently, they can act on that."
Edington did say that by the extra meeting on May 18, reductions will be done the Tuesday before that, then retirements announced on that following Friday. By the May 18, those reductions could be rectified because the retirements will be approved. A proposed final budget could possibly be approved by the regular meeting on May 11.
Most of the WCEA recommendations will likely be taken into consideration by the board, with the exception of using less of the cash balance option, but more of the rainy day fund, Edington said.
Because of these budget considerations, and ultimately impending cuts, changes to the current contract between WCEA and the Wawasee Community School Corporation have tentatively been agreed upon at recent bargaining meetings. These include:
n Zero percent increase in salary schedule for 2010-2011 school year
n Contract is in effect from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2014
n There will be salary and two language openers per year
n Includes language providing for parent-teacher conferences during the 2010-2011 school year.
Although the main topic of any budget discussion is money, or in this case the lack thereof, one of the deeper concerns of all WCSC personnel and board members present was summed up by Kindergarten teacher Natalie Couse.
"It's not about the money because I love what I do," she said. "It's about the kids."
In personnel matters, the board approved the employment of Pamela Peterson to fill Tifani Beer's leave at WHS for the remainder of the school year.
Emily Hike requested a leave of absence beginning with the end of this school year, until the end of the 2010-2011 school year. She is a sixth-grade special education teacher at Wawasee Middle School.
Kelly Elpusan submitted her resignation as a cafeteria worker at WHS, and William Maule will be transferred from a school year custodian to a year round custodian at WHS.
The financial report for the month ending March 31st, 2010 is as follows:
Beginning balance, $24,026,429.73
Receipts, $2,989,907.72
Disbursements, $3,907,294,81
End balance, $23,109,042.64
Wawasee Community School Corporation board members are George Gilbert, Mike Wilson, Rebecca Linnemeier, Dallas Winchester and Mary Louise Dixon.
B.J. Roberts, president of the Wawasee Community Educator's Association, the local teacher's union, presented a proposal of how cuts could be made without teachers losing jobs.
In a prepared statement, Roberts said in part: "Due to a variety of economic conditions and political agendas, the Governor of Indiana and the State Superintendent of Schools have implemented a number of budgets cuts aimed at public education...[[In-content Ad]]"In the upcoming year, Wawasee schools are facing a general fund shortfall approaching $1.3 million. Superintendent Edington has proposed a number of cost-cutting measures, including staff reductions, to meet our goal of balancing the general fund budget...While Dr. (Thomas) Edington has done a commendable job...WCEA feels that many of those staff reductions are not necessary at this time...WCEA would prefer that alternate measures be considered by the board to meet the necessary budget constraints."
The WCEA teachers' proposed plan consists of the following:
n Early retirement incentive savings, $300,000 (more if positions left vacant)
n Energy Savings program, $100,000
n Transfer of payment of applicable positions from other funds $50,000
n Cuts from supplies, travel, services, $50,000
n E-payroll, $10,000
n Maintenance of effort reduction from American Recovery Reduction Act funds (stimulus money), $200,000
n Anticipated general fund savings, $710,000 (additional budget supports)
n Transfer 5 percent of rainy day fund to general fund, $165,000
n Spend down current cash balance (cash on hand) by 10 percent, $275,000
n Transfer 5 percent of capital projects fund, $170,000
n Total budget accomodations, $1,310,000
According to Edington, one of the problems regarding possible staff reduction has more to do with contract scheduling than funding.
"Our timing is a little bit out of whack," he said. "We have to vote on reductions (at the next board meeting) May 11. We won't know about retirements until May 14, to know how many we're going to need to reduce. That's why we're scheduling an extra meeting on May 18 to address that situation."
Final staffing probably won't be set until registration for the 2010-2011 school year is over in August, Edington said.
With students moving in or out of the school system, class sizes will remain a variable until right before school starts. That determines the need for staffing as much as any other factor.
"By then, other teachers may be recalled," he said. "People retire, and we can call them back. This year, because times are tough, we've given people who have turned in a retirement letter until May 14 to pull it...if they decide differently, they can act on that."
Edington did say that by the extra meeting on May 18, reductions will be done the Tuesday before that, then retirements announced on that following Friday. By the May 18, those reductions could be rectified because the retirements will be approved. A proposed final budget could possibly be approved by the regular meeting on May 11.
Most of the WCEA recommendations will likely be taken into consideration by the board, with the exception of using less of the cash balance option, but more of the rainy day fund, Edington said.
Because of these budget considerations, and ultimately impending cuts, changes to the current contract between WCEA and the Wawasee Community School Corporation have tentatively been agreed upon at recent bargaining meetings. These include:
n Zero percent increase in salary schedule for 2010-2011 school year
n Contract is in effect from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2014
n There will be salary and two language openers per year
n Includes language providing for parent-teacher conferences during the 2010-2011 school year.
Although the main topic of any budget discussion is money, or in this case the lack thereof, one of the deeper concerns of all WCSC personnel and board members present was summed up by Kindergarten teacher Natalie Couse.
"It's not about the money because I love what I do," she said. "It's about the kids."
In personnel matters, the board approved the employment of Pamela Peterson to fill Tifani Beer's leave at WHS for the remainder of the school year.
Emily Hike requested a leave of absence beginning with the end of this school year, until the end of the 2010-2011 school year. She is a sixth-grade special education teacher at Wawasee Middle School.
Kelly Elpusan submitted her resignation as a cafeteria worker at WHS, and William Maule will be transferred from a school year custodian to a year round custodian at WHS.
The financial report for the month ending March 31st, 2010 is as follows:
Beginning balance, $24,026,429.73
Receipts, $2,989,907.72
Disbursements, $3,907,294,81
End balance, $23,109,042.64
Wawasee Community School Corporation board members are George Gilbert, Mike Wilson, Rebecca Linnemeier, Dallas Winchester and Mary Louise Dixon.
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