...a member of a local school board, what would you target as a cut from the school budget?
Assume that you are a member of a local school board facing a multi-million dollar shortfall in your budget. Your local governing body has provided all the funding it can. You are faced with the unenviable task of having to prioritize the items in your budget that must be cut. What would be the three or so items that you would eliminate from the school budget?
Keep in mind that personnel costs constitute the largest single expenditure in any school budget.
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Jonathan Kelly- I believe that this is a very good topic and It is literally one of the biggest bases for America at this time. Yes Personnel costs is the biggest expenditure without a doubt dealing with the school budget. I was reading an article where they had the idea of "trimming the fat". Many of the bigger positions on the school board are making well over 100,000.00 dollars a year. I say we cut those positions down a bit and the ones we leave we mark them down to a 75,000.00 max. Or they can choose to keep their full salary but they would then lose there pensions, just whichever fits them best :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a issue facing many areas today and is a very good question. I think personally the school system I went to was introducing giving students computers which is a big budget that is not absolutely necessary. Also how much as previsously stated the higher positions on the school board make could be cut slightly. Education is very important and deciding where to cut is difficult especially when the idea of schools closing is an option. -Brianna Blevins
ReplyDeleteThis is a situation that is happening to me personally. The Lynchburg City School Board was considering an offer by the superintendent to close my children's elementary school to K-5 and turning it into a permanent pre-k, in order to save money. During a meeting, it was pointed out that the superintendent didn't really propose anything else. Some of our (the parents and community members') ideas were to let the school board hold their meetings at our school in order to save on office space. The entire board could move to a smaller building, hold regular meetings in a school and save.
ReplyDeleteAnother issue that probably inflates the budget is busing. Some children are bused past at least 1 other school to go to another to make things "equal". The extra miles mean higher gas usage. There are children on my block that go to other schools. We have 3 or 4 elementary school buses that stop at our block.
Personnel costs are harder to eliminate, partly due to unions. In California, unions make it almost impossible to fire teachers. They actually have a teacher on the payroll that has been accused of sexual misconduct towards children. New York is also "famous" for this. I understand that unions played an important role in industry and they protected their members. I believe this purpose has been outlived.
Pension funds, I believe, are another area to look at in reducing costs.
Another area to look at is grants. Grants provide funding for special activities that enhance the educational experience without adding to the budget. If more grants are available and put to use, some things can be eliminated from the school's budget.
I wonder what would happen to education costs if the "public" schools were privatized? It appears that whenever a private sector is brought into the public sector, the costs go up.
Something I would target as a cut from the school budget would definitely be providing computers. There are computers available in the school library, and each student having their own is a waste of money. Yes, the employees make up the largest single costs, but I don’t think teachers should be laid off. I think that number of other employees such as teacher’s aids, janitors, and members of the cafeteria staff should be cut back. Another way to save money in schools is to get rid of all those unhealthy snack and soda machines. Education is very important, and deciding what and what not to eliminate from the school systems to save money is tough.
ReplyDeletePersonally I feel any employee that doesn't serve an absolute necessary purpose can either be cut back on wages or let go. Education is important so to have people there that really are not living up to standards for the pay they recieve should have some kind of adjustment done with them.
ReplyDeleteHere are some ideas on how schools can save money and what to cut? First do not provide employees with a 401 k match or raise for that year,also cancel all after-hours awards programs (just hand out the diaplomas the last day of school). Let go some teachers that are not pulling their weight. Possibly go to a 4 a day school week, 4 10 hour days, on fridays the school would be closed therefore saving on electricty, but parents would have to pay extra money for day care for children. Only suggestions. And finally, not offering a foreign language for high schoolers. I am really glad that i do not have to be the one that decides what to cut.
ReplyDelete~from Chandra~
ReplyDeleteThis is an example of what is to come. Government can no longer afford to offer the services we have grown accustom to. The question is: what is the role of the public schools. The part it plays now is very different from what originated. We have gone from simply teaching children the three R's and kids bringing a potato for lunch (if lunch was offered), to providing college-level education in an attempt to level the playing field while providing hot breakfasts and lunches in MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR facilities equipped better than some community colleges---all for FREE or a VERY minimal cost! We are providing laptops to many students who already have computers at home; and then they break, destroy or loose it. We have school systems that are paying $100 for a textbook because they have to. Public schools are a money pit!
I believe our school systems have way too much influence in our children's lives and takes way too much away from parenting (again, because forces have asked for it.) I take responsibility for my children, I can provide my children one family computer that requires sharing, time management, and that allows me to monitor their work!! They don't need a sex education class, they don't need to calculus, they don't need breakfast (or lunch really), and considering the number of students that are driven to school or drive, we don't need school-funded buses. This would eliminate some teachers (colleges could absorb these higher-education teachers), cafeteria workers (hospitals and large industries could absorb these workers), and discounts could be given for students to ride public transport driven by eliminated school bus drivers.
Obviously, I fully respect there are families who need some financial support, but public schools have evolved into a huge factory of providing everything for everyone and pumping out kids who feel entitled and expect the same kind of self-centered attention after graduation. I haven't mentioned armed policemen and metal detectors.
Public education is a failing instutuion. Tax credits should be given to the families to go to privately-funded school of their choice managed by private business and start closing down government funded schools.~/c
The first budget cut that I would suggest would be a wage freeze for school employees or a percentage cut in salaries for employees across the board. I also think if a sport or two were to be discontinued for the year, this would utilize that revenue saved for the financial bottom line. Lastly, I think a cut in health care or 401-K benefits in employees would serve as a means of saving money.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer Hubbell