County staff presented specifics on their proposed county budget
to the public on March 26, 2013. The Board of Education (BOE) portion of the
presentation gave no details about the school budget which they presented in a
public hearing on February 8, 2013.
Should tax payers demand a greater level of transparency as the
school system expense comprises over half of the county budget?
The school superintendent did not attend; having his deputy read
prepared remarks. The President of the BOE challenged the Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC) as “politicians” to “fully-fund” the superintendent’s
proposed budget.
While proclaiming the BOE role was to advocate for more money for
education; perhaps the President of the BOE forgot that as an elected body, the
BOE also must represent the tax payers who provide school funding.
Remember the President of the BOE in 2006, when he ran for the
school board berated the school system at a Huntingtown High School campaign
forum for making teachers use their own funds to purchase supplies? Since then,
teachers still say they need to use their own funds.
The local Union officials had the teachers, administrative, and
support staff pleading their personal cases for “fully-funding” the school
request. Did anyone see separation between the BOE and the union positions? Tax
payers are not well served if these two organizations ‘conveniently’ have the
same position.
The school system struggles to implement unfunded mandates from
the Federal and State regulators and demands by the Union.
Many tax payers who fund the schools struggle to make ends meet as
property values and paychecks diminish because of a long-term poor economy and
higher Federal and State taxes.
Just what does “fully-funding” the superintendent’s budget mean?
Well, contrary to the misinformation provided to the teachers and support staff
used for their individual testimony presentations, there is sufficient funding
(without “fully-funding”) within the school system for the BOE to meet their
contractual obligations for staff pay raises.
One BOE board member already claimed publicly that even without
“full-funding” the BOE would be able to “tighten their belt” to ensure the
raises occur. That means sufficient funds exist. The well meaning school
employees were used as cover to game the system to obtain more than pay raises.
Some items quickly come to mind (and were not mentioned in any BOE
public presentation) that the BOE can address to solve the difference between
what the superintendent proposed and what the county staff recommended.
Expansion with seven new school positions is planned. One
additional clerical/secretary position for the Superintendent as a paralegal because
state mandates and Union influence means that contracts now have to be
re-negotiated every year.
Two additional technicians for plant operations which after shuffling
of some positions equates to additional Information Technology personnel, one
additional instructional assistant to supporting various mentorship/internship
programs, and three who would draw their salaries from the “Restricted Funds” (directed
by the Feds or State) part of the budget.
It is difficult to determine the real administrative costs as the State
requires organizing the various such cost items. Reportedly, administrative costs
are 9% of the budget; but could be as much as 20% of their total budget. For perspective,
if someone considered donating to a non-profit charity whose administrative
costs are that high, they very likely might give to a more efficient
enterprise.
The school system plans over $280,000 for “Local Mileage
Reimbursement”. Doing some quick math, $.565 per mile would fund 496,000 travel
miles permitting about 45 round trips every school day to and from Dunkirk and
Solomons. These trips cover various teaching specialists who split their time
among the various schools in the county and does not account for such trips
using county owned vehicles. While this has the appearance of “padding” in the
budget, perhaps more efficient use of resource allocation could reduce the
amount the tax payers have to provide for this reimbursement.
The fuel costs of running
buses and having staff enforce the daycare transfer program should be provided
by the superintendent who owes it to the tax payers to identify a cost on this
program. Since the tax payer’s responsibility includes funding school
transportation, should not they be provided these costs? Public school bus
service such as bus number 119 services only daycare facilities.
As part of the ongoing state legislature session, State Senator
David Brinkley (R), Frederick County (from the minority party in Annapolis) amended
the proposed state budget to correct the wealth calculation for several
counties. The benefit to Calvert County would be restoration of $444,000 to
Calvert County schools. As of this writing, the amendment has not yet passed. Perhaps
the Union should reconsider its default position of supporting state candidates
from the majority political party and realize that majority party is not
necessarily friendly to the local schools.
The BOE has a fiduciary role; relook priorities and do the right
thing for the teachers, support staff, and don’t forget the tax payers.
