http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130104/NEWS02/701049916
Committee slashes $290,000 from school budget
By Christian Avard
Staff Writer | January 04,2013
Rutland Herald
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield School District’s central office, building maintenance and capital plans took a hit in the latest round of budget cuts during Wednesday’s joint meeting of administrators and School Board members.
The budget committee slashed $290,000 from the proposed school budget for FY2014, making it a $28.2 million budget, which represents a one percent decrease from the administration’s $28.5 million proposed budget. The new budget is still a 2 percent increase from this year’s school budget of $27.7 million.
According to Ernest Lamphere, chairman of the budget committee, the largest cuts occurred in central office programs and services, where about $168,900 was eliminated. Those cuts included $4,600 in travel and conferences for the superintendent and information and technology specialists, $6,000 for the curriculum development fund, $26,200 in health insurance benefits and $130,000 in the reserve fund for contract negotiations. The remaining $2,100 accounted for miscellaneous services.
Assistant Superintendent Zach McLaughlin said negotiations are taking place with paraprofessionals right now and $130,000 in the reserve fund for contract negotiations might cover potential increases if approved.
Budget committee member Frank Griffin said the administration should find other sources for the fund.
“Because of the situation we’re in with the budget and the stress we’re putting on our town, we urge you to find the funds elsewhere instead of passing it on to the taxpayers,” Griffin said.
Another $60,000 was eliminated in oil costs. Building maintenance originally requested $420,000 and the committee adjusted the figure to $360,000.
Steve Hier, director of fiscal services, said there was money in a reserve fund that could pay for a large portion of oil and fuel costs. As a result, the budget committee took $60,000 out of building maintenance and left $360,000 remaining if the extra money is needed.
The budget committee also slashed $17,400 from the $476,000 capital plan budget. The new figure is $458,600. Capital plan cuts include a $25,000 clock system replacement at the Riverside Middle School, $20,000 in playground construction at Union Elementary School and $7,400 for aisle runners and elevator carpets at Springfield High School.
Other cuts included $14,900 in special education summer programs and $10,200 in Springfield High School physical education equipment, substitute teachers and travel and conference expenses.
In contrast to the cuts, the budget committee added $25,000 for Riverside Middle School bathroom renovations and $10,000 for high school sprinkler system renovations per the schools’ requests.
The School Board will take another look at it before they send it to voters on Town Meeting Day. A date has not been set for a future meeting.
How can such a poor town have such a large school budget? Is it all the freebie breakfast, lunch and dinner meals for the kids?
ReplyDeleteIt's all the government entitlements- kids with parents that don't know how to be parents and drop their responsibilities on the schools. Good thing most of the money comes from the Federal and State level but it's all the unfunded laws and requirements that suck money away from programs that really benefit the regular kids.
DeleteI remember the good ole' days when I had my breakfast at home (cereal is CHEAP) and my mom packed my lunch.... oh the days of personal responsibility.
DeleteAnd your mom could be home to make breakfast because your dad made enough money by himself to support the family?
DeleteWe should cut the budget by 50%, or better yet just close all the scools! We dont need them!
ReplyDeleteNO no no it is all the entitlements that the teachers and administrative staff require in their contracts. Their paid time off, their excessive benefits and retirement. I think just like with the rest of America and the financial community, that the teachers should pay more for their benefits and towards their retirement. Second, we pay WAYYYY too much for a failing superintendent and lets not forget the raises our wonderful school board voted in last year and the year before for the failing administrators. Speaking of which where is our NEW superintendent? Isnt it about time we hire someone in BEFORE the **** hits the fan? Or is it that the school board will try to slide another year of the former super on us? Was 20k really needed for clocks in the Middle School? Kinda think wall clocks from wally world would work just as well. Lastly, the district needs to reign in the personal days and all the half days they use for "development". Extend the school year slightly but take more time off for winter break and Christmas which saves on heating costs. Stop the half days and use 1 full day instead of constantly having the staff eat pizza and watch a video and leave early themselves. If they are there to learn then they need to learn and quit milking the system.
ReplyDeleteYup, it's important to have the last middle-class people in America-- those protected by union membership-- to join the race to the bottom.
DeleteThe middle class is the economic equivalent of wetlands-- the protective barrier between the ocean and the land-- only it protects the best-off from the worst-off. The income range of the middle class (roughly $30,000-$160,000) gives the lower class the hope AND the possibility of bettering themselves; when it is too small, the impoverished who used to be in it have only the upper class to compare their lot, and they tend not to be happy. That's when the middle class has to protect itself as it does in South Africa by putting shards of glass atop the walls around their house.
As the middle class gets even smaller, the lower class has more contact only with the upper class, who have the power to set the police and prison budgets-- and things get uglier, faster, for all...
Far better to have Springfield workers bargaining for the respect and the wages that ensure good performance and good citizens, rather than vilify school staff for being paid what they're worth.
How on earth do you make a statement about what the school staff are worth. What part of it is a failing school system are you not getting. It isn't even ranked a 4 on great schools. I mean schools in the Bronx rate higher. This has nothing to do the middle class or vilifying anyone. It has to do with monetary budgeting. It is a well known fact that unions have been the economic downfall of America. They have cost billions and billions of dollars to corporations and have driven up the cost of manufacturing to the point that the manufacture of goods has now been shipped overseas. Because of the barriers and costs unions create our auto industry is and was a mess. They haven't pulled out of anything. Most automakers are currently in trouble again and that is largely due to the outrageous costs of union contracts and employees. An example very close to home would be the union and negotiated cost of healthcare PAID BY THE TAXPAYERS for the town of springfield. Town employees pay some crazy amount like 2% towards their healthcare coverage. That isn't remotely in line with any industry in America. The sponges on the system are the individuals and industry like education who suck the system dry without any type of check and balance for good employees vs. bad. So that is the point of the post but as par usual it has to have the springfield spin put on it by someone who clearly benefits from the town and state employing them. There is a reason why Vermont is so terribly in debt. Because it is filled with people who want something for nothing...like education and town employees plain and simple.
DeleteReality is not allowed to be posted here....take it somewhere else where people might actually comprehend what you are telling them and want to fix the problems....
Deletechuck did any of you stand when they took my job. no you just allowed it. you can make laws to punish the most minor offense but cant protect real jobs. sorry if nothings being sold to generate more new money for the country there is none. we can keep printing away but at some point it goes back to being worthless paper. history shows us.
DeleteJust remember that crazy amount of co-pay of 2% for town employees not to long ago was 0% with 100% health coverage. Now your correct, we are paying 2% of an 80/20 plan, and negotiations are in progress. Also I may remind you that at least 2 current board members if not 3 were on the board when town employees weren't paying a dime for insurance. So with a 2% co-pay, no cost of living or pay raises for 3 years, soon to be 4 years, Town employees are doing something, although it may not seem much to you, to be responsible taxpayers. YES, town employees pay taxes too.
DeleteSomething for nothing, I think you ought to really look at way the State of Vermont is in debt, also the Fed government, its called people to lazy to work, with their hand out for entitlements, god forbid those that don't pay taxes at all have to pay a little, instead of the ones paying, paying more
DeleteAnonymous 1/5/13 8:58 AM I think the point is that your benefit package is still far superior to private industry when it comes to wages, health care and pensions. Let's not slip over the fact that the pension benefits for public employees will end up bankrupting the entire nation before this fiasco ends. That and the fact that public employees continue to receive superior pay and benefits for inferior service. Why is there no accountability for failing performances while the foxes get to continue looting the hen house unchallenged?
DeleteI haven't had a cost of living increase or raise in 5 years....and i pay 30% of my health benefits...so i really feel your pain.
DeleteWhat do you base your observation of inferior service on? What experience do you have? Also I pay more into the pension package than the Town does. Much more.
DeleteSignificant drug and gang activity, a school system in shambles, roads that a miserable to drive on in good weather, dead animals left to rot on roads, areas of town that look like someone took a dump on them...
DeleteDo those experiences count?
No, those are observations not experience in knowing how to correct the situation instead of whining about it
DeleteSCHOOL staff pay a large percentage of health benefits cost. TOWN staff pay hardly anything and up until recently TOWN staff paid ZERO%. Why is this allowed?
DeleteSchool staff also gets raises when town employees continue to go without and have much better benefits packages...so I guess the Town employees are just so much better off, huh?
Deletewhen was the last time a school employee didnt get a raise in there contract??
Deleteanon 10:21am
Deletethe answer is : Union contracts
the answer is your school and select boards they approve the contracts.....
DeleteWHAT A POORLY WRITTEN TRASH ARTICLE BY CHRISTIAN AVARD.... AGAIN .....
ReplyDelete"The Latest Rounds"
This is wrong for The RUTLAND HERALD .... what bad people they have there.
Someone should egg and TP the Rutland Herald.
Next Vermonter looking to drive their tractor around should park it in the front window of the Herald.
Hey, christian avard. your writing sucks.
The Town of Rutland needs to be taught a lesson.
DeleteThose writers at the Herald should get their butts kicked.
It is True... Rutland has a very similar culture to that of Springfield. Those in Rutland would be better off talking up life in Springfield. Rutlander's frequently put their feet in their mouths to out of state visitors who see them differentiating between themselves and their sister town Springfield.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fact that the town of Rutland is plaigued by LIARS, CHEATS, THIEVES, PARASITES, and LOOSER POLITICIANS.
Such a motley bunch of poor characters they sometimes think their onlt hope is to put down Springfielders. Problem with that, for them, is that not only does it make their stupididty stand out, it leaves them without their county cousin and old pal 05156.
"As soon as an issue seems suitable for exploitation, partly for political party purposes, partly even for their highly personal interests, the truthfulness or rightness of the matter at hand is altogether irrelevant. This is all the more the case if they can thereby inflict damage on the cause of the general awakening of our Folk."
ReplyDelete1928 Adolf Hitler in his book "The New World Order"
Close down Park St school totally, that would save a lot of money. We are paying to keep it clean, heated and maintained which we don't need to do!
ReplyDeleteWe don't need as many para educators either. Back in good ol Springfield when I was a kid, our teachers had a class of about 30 kids each, what is the difference now?
Stop buying stupid iPads for teacher use only.
Have sports start earning money. Again, when I was in school the baseball team needed new uniforms, we held a bake sale and car wash. New uniforms came a few weeks later. Obviously some sports will still need help with the VPA as far as "sponsorship" within the school. Kids need to start earning a spot on the team, if they get in trouble for drugs, skipping school or mouthing off to a teacher they shouldn't be allowed to play. Hold try outs! Have parents pay a small fee to help offset the prices of uniforms, coaches and officials.
Parents need to be responsible for their kids supplies. Go to OfficeMax or Kmart and buy your own notebooks and pencils. While we're at it, parents should provide lunches as well. Why do I need to pay for your kids lunch when you get food stamps at home? Use your new iPhone and call me about that.
There is a class in High School called "YouTube, Facebook and Hollywood" really? All my teenagers do now is go on Facebook and YouTube at home anyways! Lets cut that class instantly!
I'll be waiting for the haters to try and tell me why this is wrong......anonymously
DB
Hey D Bag,
DeleteYou are way off on the lets cut that class instantly idea. Do you realize that many universities now have Social Media degree programs? Do you realize companies pay for positions that simply deal with Youtube, facebook, twitter, and four square? Do you realize these positions make really good money? All my kids do at home is science experiments, we should cut chemistry instantly.
Now i agree with you about the parent responsibility piece, but do you really think that is going to happen? It is only getting worse not better and how would you like the school system to start enforcing parental responsibility?
As far as sports earning money, great idea, did you go to the basketball game last night and pay the $4 entry fee to help support the team and athletic program? I didn't see a big D bag there.
With someone as smart as D bag in our town I am amazed that Springfield is not the capital of Vermont. With all of his brain power he should be the school board chair, select board chair, town manager, and superintendent. All of Springfield's problems would be solved with this dude at the helm.
F.U. (Now I am not anonymous)
Parent responsibility starts at home. My children are held accountable (a word seldom used around this town) for their actions.
DeleteI admit I agree with the social media piece in college. I know a few kids that take that class in the high school. They all say it is a joke and it is just playing online, updating statuses on Facebook, looking at funny or gross videos on YouTube and very little work.
To answer your question about the basketball game, yes I go to many of them. I also attend all the football games, some soccer games, most baseball games and a few wrestling tournaments. So yes, I support the local kids.
To answer your question about joining the school board, or town chair etc.....there is NO WAY. You anonymous posters would love to try and uproot my life. It ain't happening. Look at you now, my initials are DB and you all instantly started calling me D bag because one person did a few months ago and you all followed. You are all sheep. Bah
DB
The committee determine that closing Park Street down entirely was a net wash as far as costs were concerned and it would deprive the Town's ability to use it as an alternative recreational area which the Town's Recreation Department does on a regular basis, along with several other not-for-profit agencies which provide before and after school programs. I used to believe as you do about kicking kids off the team for various infractions, but have come to believe that is a bad idea. It is bad because the last thing some of these kids need is to spend more time at home around their parents and/or unstructured time. Certain inner city schools have gone to 60 hour weeks with massive homework in order to keep the kids in school as much of their time as possible recognizing that while parents can be of great benefit when they are good parents, they can be of even greater harm when they are bad parents. Its time we woke up to the fact that parenting is a two edged sword which can destroy kids -- the worst thing we can do for some kids is to kick them out of extracurricular programs because of grades, drugs or similar issues. Do you think that loss of the ability to be in a sport is going to improve a kid's behavior? Are you on crack?
DeleteBut Aethelred, don't you think if we just tell these parents to do a better job and take responsibility that this problem will be solved?
DeleteWhat if we eliminated the free and reduced lunch program, don't you think that parents would get the point and start sending their kids with healthy meals such as two liter bottles of soda and a bag of chips?
People who detest unions because their members have better pay and benefits are shooting themselves in the foot. They should look at unions as a way of getting their own lot improved. Thanks to being in a union, I got a cost of living adjustment every two years. One point five percent might not be much, but it WAS a raise-- and how many non-union working people on this thread have had a raise of any sort in the last five years? My child had health care coverage and dental coverage, and I, very much to my surprise, was told to exercise my right to take time off and get him from the nurse's office when he fell sick.
DeleteWhy shouldn't EVERY worker have the same access to respectful treatment that I had and that every worker deserves? Americans are not born to be serfs, but there are powerful forces to make us so.
Any worker who thinks unions are sucking billions out of the economy is beyond redemption. He or she are victims of propaganda which is designed to keep them helpless in the workplace. The anti-union allegations made in previous posts cannot be substantiated because they are not true.