Can anyone spare a dime?

Interesting:

School District 52 in need of $1.4 million to balance the books.

thenorthernview.com/news/227892821.html

If I were an employee of the School District I might wonder a bit about the options presented. Doesn’t “it’s going to be on the backs of our teachers and support staff” seem a little bit defeatist if not pre-mature?

Sure, Board Chair Tina Last suggested in an interview with the CBC that advocacy for more funding (an option many districts are looking at) was hardly a possibility for this district: “well the board and I would join the other 59 school districts across the province”… So while we’re waiting for the other 59 districts to get their collective act together before our Board joins in advocacy at the provincial level….

Maybe our Board could:

  1. Present a realistic needs budget. Nope they voted that one down.
  2. Every little penny counts. Why not set an example and at least try to pare back the escalating costs of the Board of Trustees? Nope they voted that one down too.
  3. How about re-thinking that rather expensive ‘succession plan’ and cut back on the level of administration to more realistic levels. Pretty reluctant to do that too if my memory serves me right.
  4. O.K. How about this one: try to build a more constructive labor relations environment and cut back on the legal costs of multiple outstanding grievances. (Cynical me 1: I am frightened to think how much money went towards the ill thought out attempt to ban ‘Yertle the Turtle’ alone. Cynical me 2: the Board originally made this announcement on the day the ‘Yertle the Turtle’ settlement became public – coincidence?).
  5. Cut back on the costs of consultant fees – let’s be creative and look for potential areas of saving without spending big bucks on a consultant to do the looking. (Been there done that).
  6. How about trying a little bit of creative problem solving by suggesting the Board recognizes a potential problem and would like to crowd source some suggestions? Why wait for the Budget process to begin to generate ideas?

Recognizing a problem is great…especially when there is time to explore potential solutions. Shutting the door on possibilities…not so great.

So…any other ideas out there?..Let’s be creative and thoughtful….

Well maybe they shouldn’t have hired someone to do a job that they weren’t qualified for, paid an asinine amount of money to someone else to train them only to have them leave after they were all trained up on our dime…smart spending right there

Re: Can anyone spare a dime?
by rickgrimes » Thu Oct 17, 2013 8:38 am

Well maybe they shouldn’t have hired someone to do a job that they weren’t qualified for, paid an asinine amount of money to someone else to train them only to have them leave after they were all trained up on our dime…smart spending right there

Thanks for the comment.

Although I believe that some might possibly think that the departures of the trainee and later – the trainer actually advantaged the district…they might not say that. :slight_smile:

But your point is well taken: it appears to be a ‘mistake’ that keeps on giving. Why the position was created in the first place is unclear. Prior to the new position it is my belief that district hiring was the responsibility of the Superintendent with the support of District Principals and Administrators.

It would be interesting to know the rationale for the creation of the new position, as well as projections of the economic (and other) benefits accruing from it. Or was it just an act of whimsy on behalf of the Board? Maybe rethinking the necessity of the position as it presently stands might open up possibilities for savings?

Suggestions that other districts are looking at: reducing supplies, reducing travel costs, increasing rates for the use of school facilities (gym bookings etc.), attrition rather than layoffs.

Any other ideas out there?