Easton Area School District to study whether to cut teachers

Friday, March 26, 2010
By COLIN MCEVOY
The Express-Times - PALMER TWP. |

But McGinley asked that people involved remain respectful and work collaboratively for the best interests of the students, rather than assign blame for the district's financial difficulties.

"Emotions are high. Morale, it's low," McGinley said to a crowd of about 80 in the Easton Area High School auditorium during Thursday's school board meeting. "Decisions need to be made and I ask for your help."

The call came as the school board unanimously voted to authorize McGinley to study whether teachers and other professional staff should be cut.

The district is facing a preliminary budget with an 11.85 percent tax increase, though the board has vowed to lower the hike to at least 3.6 percent by the time a final budget is passed in June.

To do so will require $13.1 million in program cuts or additional dips into reserve funds. For a zero percent increase, $15.8 million in cuts are needed.

During public comment Thursday, some people repeated previous calls for the teachers union to reopen its contract.

Some teachers who spoke said they felt they were being unfairly blamed for the district's financial woes.

But McGinley asked that finger-pointing be set aside.

"What is occurring is people are pitting each other against each other, and that does not serve anybody well," she said. "It's a disservice to our educational process."

Various program cuts are being considered.

The administration has asked each school building principal to cut 50 percent from extracurricular activities budgets, which officials estimate will save $65,665. Final decisions on cuts have not yet been determined.

The district's ad hoc budget committee last week recommended consolidating high school classes with low attendance and increasing some class sizes to 30 students.

Several members of the Easton Area Education Association teachers union spoke of the benefits to such programs as business education, the school library and alternative education.

Union Vice President Jeff Jacoby acknowledged some art, music and world language courses have 15 students or less, but asked the district to consider their value before jumping to decisions about cuts.

"These are building blocks for future studies and career opportunities," Jacoby said.

McGinley will come back to the board in April or May with recommendations for any professional staffing changes.

The school board also authorized the district's financial team to seek a refinancing option on ongoing capital bonds within the next year, if at least $4.8 million in savings can be realized.

If interest rates drop to the point that such savings can be reached, the $80 million in bonds approved in 2005 and 2006 for the middle school project will be refinanced, Business Manager Marie Guidry said.

Savings would be realized in the district's debt service payments, which will be $6.9 million next year on these two bonds, Guidry said.