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June 21. 2012 12:04AM
Manchester school hiring, health care costs debated
MANCHESTER — The School District has $2.3 million more than the $152 million the city allocated to hire laid-off staff and fill key vacancies next school year.
The Board of School Committee voted to use that much from the district's expendable trust funds — but put off until next week most of the decisions on how to use the money.
What it did decide was to save four assistant principal jobs at the city's middle schools at a cost of $468,000. The board also recommended saving Latin and German instructors at the high schools.
The board will meet again next week on a day to be determined.
The $2.3 million approval passed in an 8 to 7 vote, with committee members Chris Stewart, Roy Shoults, Dave Wihby, Erika Connors, Arthur Beaudry, John Avard and Mayor Ted Gatsas voting against the funding. It was the fifth vote attempted during the board's special budget meeting Wednesday night to allocate more money to fill the district's $10 million funding gap.
Opponents questioned whether the district could afford to use the trust funds when health care costs have soared in recent weeks.
District Business Administrator Karen DeFrancis told the board there has been more than $1 million in medical claims in recent weeks; the total benefits line for this year is expected to be $5 million over budget.
Board members noted that the end-of-year uptick in health care costs is likely due to laid-off employees who want to get medical procedures done before their benefits end.
The district will have spent about $91,000 per day on employee benefits this year, said Committee member Chris Stewart, and that cost will continue next year. He also pointed to a recommendation from the district's health care consultants that schools maintain $4.5 million in the health care trusts.
“Employee benefits is a fiscal cancer growing in our budget and it's not getting better,” said Stewart. Spending trust funds on salaries now — not knowing where the funds will come from next year — would be irresponsible, he said.
“This is my fifth budget on the school board and looking back over the years, we've had the exact same discussion ... it's going to get better and we're going to figure out something next year,” said committee member John Avard. “Every year it's worse, every year we're deeper in the hole and I've said let's stop.”
If there were union concessions on health care, there could be up to $4 million in savings realized, said committee member Erika Connors.
But Gatsas questioned whether the unions would agree to a deal next year they turned down this year.
Even if there weren't union concessions, said committee member At-Large Kathy Staub, the district would save money by not giving out raises when the contracts expire next June.
“If we have to lay people off next year, it won't be because of us. It will be because someone else wasn't willing to come forward,” said Staub. “I am willing to grab at every root, every jagged rock, every sapling on my way down to keep me from hitting the bottom.”
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Brennan told the board he would use the additional funding from both the aldermen and the trust funds to bring back elementary school teachers, which would lower average class sizes from 25 to 22 students. He would also bring back laid-off elementary school art, music and physical education teachers, as well as special education teachers, 12 middle school language arts teachers and the part-time assistant principals at the elementary schools. In all, he would bring back about 40 teachers and 20 other staffers.
Board members had other ideas for the funds, saying the cuts needed to be spread evenly between all the schools. Members recommended keeping foreign language teachers in the high schools and investing in computer tech teachers.
According to district figures, schools are down about 197 positions. The money added Wednesday means there will still be about 137 vacancies, whether from layoffs, retirements or staff not coming back, when school opens this fall.
Beth LaMontagne Hall may be reached at bhall@unionleader.com.
The Board of School Committee voted to use that much from the district's expendable trust funds — but put off until next week most of the decisions on how to use the money.
What it did decide was to save four assistant principal jobs at the city's middle schools at a cost of $468,000. The board also recommended saving Latin and German instructors at the high schools.
The board will meet again next week on a day to be determined.
The $2.3 million approval passed in an 8 to 7 vote, with committee members Chris Stewart, Roy Shoults, Dave Wihby, Erika Connors, Arthur Beaudry, John Avard and Mayor Ted Gatsas voting against the funding. It was the fifth vote attempted during the board's special budget meeting Wednesday night to allocate more money to fill the district's $10 million funding gap.
Opponents questioned whether the district could afford to use the trust funds when health care costs have soared in recent weeks.
District Business Administrator Karen DeFrancis told the board there has been more than $1 million in medical claims in recent weeks; the total benefits line for this year is expected to be $5 million over budget.
Board members noted that the end-of-year uptick in health care costs is likely due to laid-off employees who want to get medical procedures done before their benefits end.
The district will have spent about $91,000 per day on employee benefits this year, said Committee member Chris Stewart, and that cost will continue next year. He also pointed to a recommendation from the district's health care consultants that schools maintain $4.5 million in the health care trusts.
“Employee benefits is a fiscal cancer growing in our budget and it's not getting better,” said Stewart. Spending trust funds on salaries now — not knowing where the funds will come from next year — would be irresponsible, he said.
“This is my fifth budget on the school board and looking back over the years, we've had the exact same discussion ... it's going to get better and we're going to figure out something next year,” said committee member John Avard. “Every year it's worse, every year we're deeper in the hole and I've said let's stop.”
If there were union concessions on health care, there could be up to $4 million in savings realized, said committee member Erika Connors.
But Gatsas questioned whether the unions would agree to a deal next year they turned down this year.
Even if there weren't union concessions, said committee member At-Large Kathy Staub, the district would save money by not giving out raises when the contracts expire next June.
“If we have to lay people off next year, it won't be because of us. It will be because someone else wasn't willing to come forward,” said Staub. “I am willing to grab at every root, every jagged rock, every sapling on my way down to keep me from hitting the bottom.”
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Brennan told the board he would use the additional funding from both the aldermen and the trust funds to bring back elementary school teachers, which would lower average class sizes from 25 to 22 students. He would also bring back laid-off elementary school art, music and physical education teachers, as well as special education teachers, 12 middle school language arts teachers and the part-time assistant principals at the elementary schools. In all, he would bring back about 40 teachers and 20 other staffers.
Board members had other ideas for the funds, saying the cuts needed to be spread evenly between all the schools. Members recommended keeping foreign language teachers in the high schools and investing in computer tech teachers.
According to district figures, schools are down about 197 positions. The money added Wednesday means there will still be about 137 vacancies, whether from layoffs, retirements or staff not coming back, when school opens this fall.
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Beth LaMontagne Hall may be reached at bhall@unionleader.com.
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