Dodge County School Board Looks To Cut $3.5 Million From Budget

By Cindy Eckles of the Dodge Co. News

The Dodge County School Board has approved cutting several items from their budget to help make up for a $3.5 million shortfall for the fiscal year 2011 at a called meeting on Thursday, March 25. In what the board is calling the first round of cuts, faculty and staff members were notified Friday, March 26 of the following items that would take effect

1. Reduction in Force (RIF)- Administrators have indicated that they can definitely eliminate nine staff positions across the district of staff positions (Using a beginning teacher’s salary and benefits, eliminating this number of positions would save $372,960). There may be other positions later that could be.

2. Encourage other retirements: The following numbers of staff who could conceivably retire at the end of the current school year: NDES - 6; SDES - 5; DCMS - 3; DCHS - 3; Pre-K - 2 (Again using the salary and benefit amounts of a beginning teacher, if these staff members were to retire and the board not fill these positions another $885,780.00 would be saved).

3. Work four 10-hour days during summer to be able to close all facilities one day per week.

4. Reduce twelve-month certified contracted staff to eleven month, except in critical areas.(At this time this reduction does not include 12-month clerical or janitorial staff).

5. Reduce media para-pros from four to two, who would share duties for the four schools. All media para-pros will be eliminated and will be allowed to re-interview for the two combined positions.

6. Discontinue inmate detail for custodial services. ($39,492.00)

7. Discontinue monetary assistance to public library. ($19,992.00)

8. Turn off all campus lights from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m.

9. Centralize all copying services to reduce staff employed solely to make copies for teachers. Current staff who are employed in positions of copy persons will be eliminated and allowed to re-interview for the one central position.

10. Eliminate all field trips (unless the organization picks up all costs for driver and fuel).

11. Eliminate buses to out of town competitive events for band and cheerleaders. The school system will still provide transportation to band and cheerleading competitions and the cuts only affect away game travel for other sporting events.

12. Severely cut back on professional learning trips that require overnight stays - and then requiring that staff adhere to the state and federal per diem rates.

Faculty and staff members were also notified that the board was looking into cutting the salaries of all staff by 10%. If the state does not allow the local board to take any reduction in state salary levels, then the board will consider cutting all local supplements and extracurricular supplements.

In addition to the above approved budget cuts, the board approved the final two furlough days for the current school year to be May 28 and May 31.