Story posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Layoffs, Cost Cuts OKd By Dist. 207
By DWIGHT ESAU Journal & Topics Reporter
For the last several weeks, the High School District 207 board of education listened and dialogued with the Maine Township school community about finances, budget cuts, and looming deficits.
On Monday night, Feb. 1, it was the board's turn to talk publicly for the first time.
Their message to the community?
"We are proceeding with our staff's recommendation for nearly $15 million in cuts out of the 2010-11 budget, including the laying off of 75 certified teachers and about 50 non-certified staff members."
All layoff actions would, if not rescinded or modified, take effect with the beginning of the 2010-11 school year.
After about an hour of more pro-and-con rhetoric about the issue from community members, teachers, and students, the board vote Monday was a unanimous 7-0 in support of the cost reduction plan that was recommended by Supt. Ken Wallace and his staff in January.
It includes layoffs of 75 mostly non-tenured teachers, 11 custodians, two technology staff members, all technology student workers, 30 technology coaches, 13 secretaries, 16 safety monitors, six special education teacher assistants, and five other teacher assistants. Plus program and facility cutbacks totaling millions.
At the same time, however, another proposal for board-teachers union negotiations that might save half of the certified teaching positions, and possibly more, was placed on the table by the board. It is now being considered by the leadership team of the Maine Teachers Association (MTA). (See related story).
The board backed away from three initial recommendations, however, regarding the Maine West fencing team, the Maine South gymnastics team, and school resource police officers.
* The West fencing program will not be dropped to intramural status, as originally recommended, and will be retained as a varsity sport, the board said. The district has asked the fencing leaders to work with them in trying to reduce the program's costs, now estimated at $24,000 annually.
* The South boys gymnastics program will not be combined with one at East, creating a Maine Township coop activity. The two programs will remain separate.
* The school resource police officers will not be reduced to half-time status, but will be retained in a full-time capacity at all three high schools.
Emma Visee, MTA president, did not criticize the board's latest request to negotiate a possible compromise regarding teacher compensation, but she was critical with the way it was released to the students and media last Friday, Jan. 29, before it was released to the union leadership.
"The MTA leadership will discuss the board's latest proposal, and develop plans for how best to address this challenge," she said Monday night. "However, these discussions, which will eventually involve our entire membership, will take time. The board's proposal was sent to the media last Friday morning, prior to notifying MTA leadership. That strategy left me very little time to organize an appropriate response. It also left me with a very angry membership, who sees this behavior as a statement of fundamental disrespect for bargaining union members. That strategy left me with a membership wondering if the board is truly acting in good faith, wondering why the board would choose to put forth a proposal in public that was worded like a ransom note.
"I would encourage the board tonight to make a sound decision regarding the proposed reduction plan. If you have identified two million dollars that you can spend for the schools, then do so. Do not hold that money hostage.
"My leadership teams will continue to meet this week, and we will be meeting with the administration to discuss options."
She also said the MTA has never suggested that the district deplete its fund balance (currently at $86 million). "We only ask that they use the fund balance as it was intended, as a savings to get over these rough times."
Board members were strong, however, in their resolve Monday night to support their staff's recommendations for layoffs and program cutbacks, according to statements by some of them.
They all asked the union to reopen the current wage contract and negotiate possible wage freezes as a compromise plan to save jobs.
"I have listened to statements by nearly 100 persons at forums, read and answered hundreds of emails," said Board President Ed Mueller. "I have not seen any information that says we are inaccurate or wrong in our projections. I haven't heard a plan from anyone else regarding how to deal with the problem, other than to spend our resources now. Most taxpayers to whom I have spoken support our reduction plan. I believe we (union and board) should come together and find ways to share the burden."
"I'm a Maine West graduate and my father taught in District 207, and I have great respect for teachers and the MTA," said board member Eric Leys. Replying to Visee's "disrespect" statement, he said, "We do not serve teachers, we serve students and taxpayers. We hire teachers to help us do that. The timing of some things should not be a big issue. We need to work together. I don't believe a couple of million dollars should stand in the way of resolving this issue."
"We all need to take a deep breath, and remember that we are all here to serve students. We need to preserve the strong relationships that have been built regarding the board and our bargaining units," said Joaan Braam, board member and former president.
"We need to solve this together," said board member Eldon Burk, a retired long-time Maine West teacher and assistant principal. "We need to look at the big picture, and we need the help of the community and the MTA."
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