The Kent County School Board met Wednesday to slash nearly $800,000 from the school system’s budget in light of two hard realities:
First, the Board’s $17.3 million budget request will get a haircut to just under $17 million, and second, the school system will now bear the costs of its full time nursing staff–estimated at $462,000 for fiscal 2013.
The nursing costs were previously subsidized by the commissioners through the Kent County Health Department.
The school board was told by the Kent County Commissioners on May 22 that the county can only fund the legal minimum for the school system of $16.98 million for next school year–under Maryland’s recently passed maintenance of effort law. The school board was also told that the county can no longer pay for the nursing staff out of the general fund.
The budget realities dashed School Superintendent A. Barbara Wheeler’s hopes of bringing on six new positions in 2013 at a cost of $310,000.
School officials say only five new students will be added to the school system next year.
Proposed new positions that won’t be funded:
Technology Instructional Assistant $41,000
Math Helping Teacher $58,094
Behavioral Specialist $58,094
Spec Ed Helping Teacher $25,000
Two Elementary Teachers $116,188
Board members went back and forth on where to cut and considered the elimination of some JV sports — but they quickly scrapped the idea.
A one-page worksheet of cuts proposed by Wheeler showed no immediate threat to any current employee of the school system. She told the Spy after the meeting that any staff cuts “would hopefully come from attrition…we’re going to try.”
Wheeler’s proposed cuts still left the budget $155,000 in the red.
Board Member Dr. Michael Harvey moved to cut the nursing staff by one more position than was originally proposed to help meet the $155,000 in cuts. He said Wheeler should decide how best to reduce the impact of the cuts.
Other cuts proposed:
$15,000 reduction in legal fees,
$30,000 reduction from eliminating the night bus that takes athletes home from practice
$32,000 from not filling a vacant secretary position at the central office
The board would still be left to find $15,000 in additional cuts to balance the school budget, said School Finance Supervisor Angela K. Councell.
The board hopes to revise and finalize the budget on Monday, June 4.
joe diamond says
This tells a story of America:
As I read this coverage of budget decisions to cut nursing staff in the schools my gmail system provides me with sources to meet and hire nurses, nursing schools, student financial aid sources should I want to attend nursing school, nurse staffing offices that can provide work for nurses. The program just sees the words and applies related advertising.
So maybe an article on sources for needed funds will produce what? . . . advertisements for money machine leases, staff cross training schools…magic fixes for hard decisions?
Joe
Carl Crowe says
Times are tough. People are out of work and those fortunate enough to have jobs are often going without raises. Hard decisions need to be made by everyone, including our education system. Perhaps now is not the time to add new jobs and instead redeploy precious resources into other areas. These conversations are tough and uncomfortable. I wish our elected officials good luck sorting this out.