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| Kevin Coen |
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Proposed Springfield school budget at $28.3 M, includes staff cuts By STEPHEN SEITZ Special to the Eagle Times 8 hrs ago 0 Zach McLaughlin Superintendent of Springfield schools COURTESY SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — The Springfield School District has proposed a total budget of $28,326,559, but it includes staff cuts of 19.5 positions, most of them teachers. “We’re opposed to the cuts,” said Kevin Coen, English teacher and head of the Springfield Teachers’ Association. “Making these cuts so quickly will hurt the students.” Under the proposal, Elm Hill would lose two teachers. The Union Street School would lose one teacher and two support staff. Riverside Middle School would drop three teachers and 1.5 support staff. The high school would cut six teachers. Special education would shed one teacher and two support staff. The school system’s facilities management and the administrative office would lose half a position each. In his letter to the school board, Superintendent Zach McLaughlin wrote that the cuts are steeper than he would like, but he had to keep an eye in the bottom line. He is proposing maintaining the current level of per-pupil spending, with an adjustment for inflation. “Similar to the state as a whole, our enrollments continue to decline,” he wrote. “Those enrollment declines, combined with cost increases, will more than eat up the inflationary increase we are requesting.” McLaughlin wrote that this could result in a possible tax increase of 4 cents. He wrote that he told his administrators to find more than $1 million in cuts. “As you know, most of our budget is made up of the salaries and benefits of the people who work for us,” he wrote, adding that he was working with principals to identify possible cuts. “Our list of cuts is far beyond what we are comfortable with,” he wrote, “but we also embrace our responsibility to be fiscally prudent.” Coen said that a large contingent of parents and students attended the most recent school board meeting to protest the cuts. “There must have been 15 students there,” he said. “It was nice to have plenty of support.” Coen said budget cuts from the state were part of the reason for the cuts in the school district, and that the timing of Vermont’s announcement of what the education property tax will be doesn’t help, either. The towns find that out on the last day of the fiscal year, in June. “The governor doesn’t support education,” Coen said. “They don’t tell us what the funding will be until the last minute.” The full budget proposal and supporting documents, as well as a video of the school board meeting, can be found at the district’s website, www.ssdvt.org.
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I don't see how cutting staff improves our standing among Vermont's public schools. Does anybody have any suggestions on what we could do differently?
ReplyDeleteIt probably won't. But that's the ever-downward death spiral of supply-side economics. Tax cuts lead to spending and service cuts. Then again, maybe a 10 to 1 student/teacher ratio is overdoing it. I think holding the students to a higher standard, and making those who fail take remedial courses, will probably do more than anything to improve education. The thought of being a "flunkie" and having to repeat a grade was a pretty good motivator, as I recall.
DeleteIsn't that a "staff to student ratio"? If so, it includes not only Teachers, but also: foodservice workers, bus drivers, etc.
ReplyDeleteWe should be adding education staff, not cutting them. How do we raise more revenue without increasing taxes?
The most recent data I found says there are 10.8 students for every teacher in Springfield. This is typical, statewide. That's the smallest class size I've ever heard of, or seen. Since there are increasingly fewer students, staff cuts (including teachers) will need to happen at some point, regardless. Hate to say it, but raising revenue means raising taxes, unless the school has one heck of a bake sale!
DeleteTeacher/Student Ratio is NOT the same as class size. For instance, there are teachers such as Phys Ed, Art, Language, etc. who see students from classrooms on rotating basis. Another way to put it, one class of 25 sees several teachers on a rotating basis throughout the week.
DeleteOh how I wish class sizes were 10.8! What a dream. But also we are not that lucky. Elementary class sizes are 16 to 20 depending on the grade level Far more then the 10.8 you are throwing out there. That 10.8 counts custodians, secretaries, cafeteria, nurses, etc. Not just teachers to kids.
DeleteWe'll I went last Thursday to the Union Street school lunch and walked my granddaughter to the lunch room with her class. There were 14 students in the class that day with a teacher and an aid.
DeleteWhen I went to school there had to be 25 plus in every class I was in. I think teachers do a great job, but the "teachers association" does a better job of keeping the teachers count up. The town of Springfield can only afford what it can afford, sounds like it's over stepped what it can afford.
Looks like the superintendent's 'pound of flesh' cut from central office is .5 business manager position. Smoke and mirrors given they now have TWO business managers! The old one and the newly hired one. I guess the new guy needs his hand held for MONTHS. The jokes on us!!!
ReplyDeleteIs anybody interested in turning Springfield into a world-class school district operating at two-thirds of the present cost? It's being done by the country with one of the very best systems in the world.
ReplyDeleteDoes that country have unionized teachers?
DeleteI'm interested, Chuck. Do you really think we could reiterate that model here?
ReplyDeleteOf course we can! The biggest obstacle is all the people who see what is and not what could be.
Deletecg
"Does that country have unionized teachers?"
ReplyDeleteThe teachers don't need a union; they are as respected there as are the doctors and lawyers.
Back in the 70's, it decided to do better than we were doing. The national government set guidelines and told the communities, "Okay, you meet these and tell us what you need from us." There was as much resistance there as there is here to universal health care-- you'd almost swear they copied some of our reactionary tracts-- but eventually everybody agreed on a few important facts, such as:
1. The best education is to bring out each student's individual abilities, not to compress reality to fit into his mind.
2. All students want to learn; they just don't all want to learn the same thing at the same time in the same way.
3. Teachers do best when given the time to treat students like individuals.
4. Teachers want to be good and are very good at supporting one another as professionals.
5. Standardized tests will never indicate how good a school or a teacher is, but only how rigid the system is.
If fewer students equals fewer teachers, doesn't it follow that fewer teachers should EQUAL fewer administrators? Or at very least cutting administrator's salaries by 20%. And if that former poster is correct, why are we paying TWO business managers when ONE will suffice? Is the new hire incapable of fulfilling what he was hired for?
ReplyDeleteAnother bone-headed hiring debacle by the superintendent?
And don't forget the Curriculum Director and the "Teacher Coaches".....huge waste of money.
DeleteI recently asked a district employee about the teaching coaches and was told these are not required by the state. Also don't forget the assistant principle position for the elementary schools that was added in the 2018-19 school year. My memory is this position was necessary due to an increase in disciplinary issues at lower grade levels but the planning room staff is now being cut. Can someone can this to me?
DeleteWOW! This is lunacy. Vote NO on this sneaky-Pete budget in March!!!
DeleteMore thinking inside the box.... Well-meant, but not going to make a difference in the long run.
ReplyDeleteto be honest,i think there can be more cuts,that won't effect the learning of the students at all,more coaches,dual enrollment person,power school person,some of the mental health people in the district and i'm sure there is a few more,plus cut some of the big raise's the admin and teachers get
ReplyDeletewhy is the district paying someone to plow and sand the Elks parking lot,so the staff at park st can park there,when there is plenty of room behind the school,every little bit helps
ReplyDelete