Published Thursday, June 20, 2002
to take pay cuts
Plan requires that unions do the same
AS 'CRUMBS'
Reynolds school administrators offered Wednesday to take wage freezes -- if other staffers do the same -- as school directors continued their search for ways to cut the proposed 2002-03 budget. The president of the teachers' union said teachers aren't willing to take a pay cut.
The budget-cutting task began in May when directors learned of an impending $2 million deficit. Some of the areas considered Wednesday included transportation, athletics and miscellaneous expenses.
Last month, directors approved a preliminary $14.5 million budget with a tentative 12.5 mill (28 percent) tax increase.
Superintendent Dr. Anthony Trosan said Wednesday because of cuts made so far, it may be possible to reduce the millage increase to 7 mills, or 16 percent. A 7-mill increase would set total millage at 50 mills.
A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. Each mill brings the district about $75,000 and costs the average taxpayer $15.90. At 50 mills, a property assessed at $15,900 would carry a tax bill of $795, or $112 more than last year.
Last year, county commissioners changed the property tax assessment ratio from 33.3 percent of a property's 1970 market value to 100 percent, decreasing all millage to a third of its former level but keeping dollar amounts intact.
Under the old assessment ratio, a 12.25 mill increase would be 36.75 mills. Seven mills would be equal to 21 mills under the old assessment ratio.
Because school districts cannot raise taxes more than 10 percent the year after a ratio change, Reynolds must get court approval for the tax increase. Trosan said a hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday in Mercer County Common Pleas Court.
Transportation is a large annual expense and the fact that someone forgot to include the $1.2 million cost of the bus and van contract in the budget was one of the significant factors leading to the deficit, Trosan said last month.
Administrative assistant Karen Sherwood, who is in charge of transportation, told the board she was able to cut $68,249 out of the transportation budget. She said a 3 percent rate increase from Anderson Coach and Tour was budgeted, but the actual rate increase was only 1.5 percent, saving the district $47,000. Current rates are $2.05 a mile for buses and $1.82 a mile for vans.
In addition, Anderson representatives offered a rate freeze for one year if the district extends its contract by two years -- taking it into the 2008-09 school year -- which would save an additional $21,000.
The finance committee will look into Anderson's proposal.
Mrs. Sherwood also discussed the possibility of re-routing buses and going from a double route to a single route which would have students from kindergarten through 12th grade riding the bus together. She said by increasing the maximum distance each student has to walk to the bus stop to half a mile, two or three van routes could be eliminated, saving about $75,000. High school students now walk a maximum of half a mile; elementary students walk a maximum of two-tenths of a mile.
Some board members were concerned about students walking on dangerous roads and wondered if the savings was worth the risk. Several also said they objected to a single route because of the age difference of the students.
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the budget deficit concerns the proposed cutting of teachers and the retaining of what some consider a large number of administrators.
Trosan said there are 11 administrators, with an average salary of $60,000 each. The average salary increase is about 4 percent for the administrators and each of the unions.
On behalf of the administrators, elementary Co-Principal Barbara Clawson said administrators are willing to take a wage freeze, if the teaching and non-teaching unions agree to do the same.
"We ask all district employees to rise to the occasion and meet the current challenge," Mrs. Clawson said. "Together, we can make a difference."
Teachers' union President Leesa Caputo did not agree and called the administrators' offer "crumbs thrown to appease the public and to appease the teachers."
She said the district's finances were "very unorganized" and she encouraged everyone to write to their legislators. She also said an investigation by the state auditor general's office was in order.
Ms. Caputo said it was unfair for the board to be considering the elimination of a dozen teaching jobs when most adminstrative jobs remain intact. The board last month discussed possible job cuts, including director of curriculum, but not any of the district's four principals.
"Unless you remedy the situation, we will not consider a wage freeze," she told the board, adding she was speaking on her behalf, not the union's.
Trosan said the non-teaching union has not commented on a wage freeze so far. Union President Dianna Stafford was unavailable for comment.
The board also examined implementing a "pay-to-play" option for sports, reducing kindergarten orientation to three days instead of five and the possibility of limiting which staff members have cellular phones. Anything labeled as needed, unanticipated or miscellaneous in the budget was looked at carefully.
Trosan said he has a meeting scheduled with state Reps. Rod Wilt and Mike Gruitza and state Sen. Robert D. "Bob" Robbins to discuss state funding. Board member Jeff Colson encouraged the community to call the legislators to tell them the district needs money.
The board will hold a work session at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the large group instruction room at the high school. The board expects to vote on the final budget at the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. next Wednesday, also in the large group instruction room.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Erin Remai at eremai@sharon-herald.com.