Spaulding board mulls proposed staffing cuts
Toolbox
By David Delcore Times Argus Staff - Published: December 2, 2008
BARRE – Spaulding school directors have been asked to think twice about some of the staffing reductions currently reflected in the $10.5 million budget proposed for the local union high school.
They also are looking at a potentially controversial change in the school's schedule. A decision on that was tabled until a public hearing to take in parents' views.
Board members were urged Monday to reconsider some of the staffing reductions that are currently being contemplated. A combination of parents, administrators and faculty members said they were openly worried that the board has again targeted staff to whittle away at what once was a projected 15 percent increase in spending.
Six classroom teachers, a guidance counselor, a full-time special educator and six paraprofessionals were all eliminated from the first draft of the budget bringing the spending increase down just under 6 percent.
Although several of those who addressed the board questioned tentative plans to eliminate one of the school's six guidance counselors, parent Karen Heath said she was troubled by the fact the board is, for the second straight year, talking about cutting teachers.
"We sort of got devastated last year," Heath recalled, suggesting the board's long-standing concern about small class sizes should not trump the need to deliver a quality education.
"I moved to Vermont largely so my kids could go to public school and have small classes," said Heath, who teaches at Barre City Elementary and Middle School.
"We've already jeopardized that," she said referring to past cuts and expressing concern about those that are now on the table.
"It just waters down what we are able to give kids," Heath said.
While Heath spoke in general terms about the proposed staffing cuts, several in the audience said they were worried specifically about a proposal to eliminate one of the school's six guidance counselors.
One mother of a graduating senior said she believed strongly that funding for that position should be restored given the complexities associated with preparing for college and an economy where just finding a job could be more of a challenge for some graduates."They need counselors more now than they've ever needed them before," she said, suggesting the cut would create a burden on the remaining staff that would translate into a reduction in service for students.
That sentiment was echoed by Lisa Lemieux the school's veteran guidance director, who said that given Barre's demographics, providing guidance services at Spaulding can be particularly challenging.
"I guess my question is what goes?" Lemieux asked. "What part of our job goes when our caseloads increase somewhere around 30 percent?" The guidance position is one of four full-time positions that Principal Bob Phillips has recommended the board consider restoring.
Also on Phillips short list are one of two math teachers targeted for elimination, a science teacher and a business teacher.
Superintendent John Bacon said he supports Phillips call to restore the business position, but believes the other cuts should stand.
Restoring funding for the business teacher would push the proposed spending increase up from 5.7 to 6.5 percent, according to Bacon, who said adding back the guidance counselor would mean a 7.2 percent spending increase.
That is dangerous territory, according to School Director John Santorello.
"I don't see 7.2 percent passing in Barre," he said, expressing his personal fear that adding back positions without finding offsetting cuts would be a mistake when it comes to passing a budget.
"We're going down the road to failure," he warned.
School Director Richard Storz agreed.
"It's going to be hard enough to get 5.7 percent," he said of the increase reflected in the budget as it stood at the outset of Monday's meeting.
Board members took no action on the budget, though Chairwoman Christine Conti said decision time is fast-approaching and from her perspective there are no easy answers.
"It's the same tough decisions every year," she said. "Do we cut sports, music, drama, foreign language? … It's not easy."
Compounding matters is the fact enrollment at Spaulding has been steadily declining and that trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Even Phillips, who has asked the board to consider reinstating some positions, acknowledged the student-teacher ratio at Spaulding is significantly lower than most similarly sized Vermont schools.
"Some cuts are justified," he said. "The numbers don't lie in terms of where we are in terms of comparisons with other schools."
The board has until mid-January to put the finishing touches on the budget.
As for a new schedule, Conti said she hopes to endorse one for the school following a public hearing later this month. The schedule is a modified version of the school's existing block schedule. The school day would begin at 8 a.m. for all students, and while freshman would take classes in seven 45-minute periods, the day would be carved into four 90-minute "blocks" for the balance of the school's students.
A potentially controversial aspect of the proposal is the decision to move band, which is currently offered before school officially starts, to right after the day would end at 2:45 p.m. That would create a potential conflict for student-athletes who are also members of the band.
Conti said it was important for the board to give parents an opportunity to weigh in before taking any action. A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15 in the school auditorium.
11