The Greene County Schools met their cost-cutting target with a little room to spare.
The settlement of the teachers’ contract was a final piece needed to hit that target. The contracts ratified by the school board May 18, with a total package increase of 2.66 percent for teachers, classified staff and administrative staff, and a 2 percent wage increase for bus drivers, put the district’s budget about $30,000 “ahead of the game,” superintendent Tim Christensen said.
Christensen said he and business manager Brenda Muir will not accept salary increases. Curriculum director Karen Sandberg will also not accept a salary increase but will be granted more flexibility in her schedule as compensation.
The district’s financial situation has been discussed more than in recent years. In February Christensen briefed the school board on a need to reduce expenses by $525,000 for the 2016-17 school year. The board approved issuing reduction in force (RIF) notices – pink slips – for 1-1/3 teaching positions, with another teacher proposed for RIF asking for a hearing. (That teacher later declined the hearing and the RIF notice was issued.)
In April Christensen provided more detailed information of cost savings accomplished, but noted that depending on where contract negotiations ended with the Greene County Education Association, salaries and wages would increase between $321,000 and $394,000. Contract settlements on the low side of the range would give the remainder of the cost savings needed. Settlements on the high side would require finding another $43,000 in cost reductions. The teachers’ initial proposal asked for a total package increase of 4.49 percent.
The salary schedule agreed to in the 2016-17 teachers’ contract has a base wage of $31,205, with another estimated $5,798 in state-generated teacher salary supplemental funds.
Also at the May 18 meeting, the board accepted late applications for the voluntary early retirement from teacher Ginny Destival and cook Jane Godwin. Godwin’s retirement had already been approved but without the financial incentive.
Destival was commended for 24 years teaching pre-kindergarten, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten. Christensen said one of the laid off teachers would be recalled to fill Destival’s position.
In another finance-related issue, the board revisited hiring a middle school band director to replace Hanna Sundberg, whose resignation was accepted in April. The board in April discussed leaving the position vacant, but after lobbying by instrumental music teachers Bob Palmer and Wes Anderson, Christensen was directed to advertise the position as vacant.
The board has also been lobbied about increasing the position of activities director to fulltime. Christensen wanted to verify the board’s intentions before continuing the hiring process.
At the May meeting middle school principal Shawn Zanders reported receiving 12 applications for the middle school band position; two have since been withdrawn. Of the 10 remaining, four have teaching experience and six are new college graduates.
Board member Mark Peters said, “I’ll spend money on instruction over sports any day of the week.” Board member David Ohrt agreed. Board member Ashley Johnston suggested that additional counseling staff should be a priority.
The board passed a motion by a 5-2 vote to hire a middle school band director, with the anticipation that it be a shared position in 2017-18. Teresa Hagen and Mike Dennhardt cast the dissenting votes.
The board approved refinancing $1,350,000 in revenue bonds sold in 2007 for the addition on the elementary school. The bonds are now at 4 percent interest; they are being refinanced at 1.54 percent by BB&T Governmental Finance of Charlotte, NC. Business manager Brenda Muir said the district will save $141,000 through the refinance.
Muir also reported to the board that as of that day, May 18, nine teachers had agreed to make a $918 tax-deductible donation to the school as payback for an overpayment during the 2014-15 school year. Three teachers had paid the full amount.
As GreeneCountyNewsOnline reported in February, there was an error in paying the state teacher salary supplement to teachers last school year that resulted in the district covering $104,000 in payroll taxes that should have been withheld from the individual teachers.
Earlier this month, Muir sent a letter to teachers asking them to voluntarily pay back the money. Teachers were given the option of paying back the money in one lump sum, paying it through a $76.50 payroll deduction for the next 12 paychecks, or not paying it back. Muir took full responsibility for the error.
The Greene County Education Association will meet this Wednesday to determine if there will be a group decision on repayment. Not all teachers belong to the GCEA.
Money paid back will go into the school’s general fund.
