OXFORD – The latest round of budget talks on the state level could mean the restoration of more than $400,000 in state education aid to Oxford schools for the 2009-10 academic year. But despite the potential relief this additional money could provide, it remains unclear what affect it would have, if any, on the 24 positions jeopardized by the current budget proposal.
“If what we hear is true, hopefully we’ll be able to anticipate an additional $401,000,” reported Superintendent Randy Squier to members of the Oxford school board at a special budget meeting held Monday night. “Generally speaking, that’s the same amount we are receiving this year.”
The restoration of state formula aid won’t be set in stone until a budget is passed in Albany, he explained, adding that he was “hoping to hear some real numbers from the state” later this week.
The money is derived from federal stimulus funds, which means “there could be strings attached,” according to the superintendent, but he does not expect this to prevent them from using the money as needed. “We’ll be creative if we have to,” he said.
With the promised infusion of funds, the district can begin to look at prioritizing what items should be added back into the budget. When Squier turned the discussion over to the school board, board president Robin DeBrita deferred back to the superintendent for his guidance in prioritizing what areas and positions were most important.
“Our first choice is everything back,” she said, after stating her reluctance in discussing individual positions. She did, however, say she felt the high school media specialist position was one that needed to be revisited, a sentiment which was echoed by board member John Godfrey.
“I know the value of a librarian to the kids,” said Godfrey, a retired teacher from the district. He also recommended restoring the high school agriculture teacher to a full-time position.
Board member Mary Branham said she recognized the sensitivity of the issue as it directly affected jobs, and cited several areas in which she had concerns.
“I don’t want to lose the well-rounded kids Oxford has,” said Branham, stating the need to maintain programs in art and music. Maintaining adequate supervision was another of her concerns, as was the fate of the driver’s education program.
“I look at driver’s ed as something that saves lives,” said Branham. “You can’t put a price tag on it.” She suggested sharing part of the cost with parents if necessary, to keep the program from being discontinued.
“That’s something we can look at,” said Squier.
The superintendent’s initial budget proposal, presented to the board on Feb. 25, called for a 4.8 percent increase in the tax levy. DeBrita raised her concerns about that number.
“Families just can’t afford to take the increase,” she said. “I’m gun-shy on the 4.8, and would like to see us in the 2 range.”
While this may appease taxpayers to a certain extent, it raised additional concerns from the district’s already embattled teachers, many of whom were in attendance at the meeting.
“I worry that these cuts (combined with the low tax levy being proposed) will do severe damage to the school district,” said Elizabeth Schaefer, a long time educator with the district.
She used the analogy that the captain had already made off with the life raft rather than going down with the ship, when she explained to the board her belief that the budget cuts, and the pain associated with them, were “not being shared equally across the schools.”
Schaefer said a meeting between administrators and teachers last week had been “constructive,” and a good start, but Oxford Teachers Association President Jon Rogers said it has come too late.
“A lot of things tend to be done to us rather than with us,” Rogers said.
“We don’t want to cut people and programs,” the union leader said, reiterating the OTA’s support of full staffing in the district. He clarified this term for DeBrita’s benefit when asked, explaining that “full staffing is having enough people in the right jobs so that our kids have the best education we can give them.”
The proposed change in status of one of the district’s administrators to half-time administration and half-time instruction continues to be an issue for many staff members. It became even more so when Squier admitted that no decrease in pay had been budgeted to correspond with the change.
“If we’re not cutting a half-time administrator, we can’t keep telling people we are,” said Kathy Hodge, a high school special ed teacher. “It technically is creating a new teaching position.”
Teachers also had concerns about Squier’s claims at the last board meeting that a master schedule has been developed which proved the district could survive with the staffing cuts.
While High School Math Teacher Kate Constantine said she had helped provide information to her building principal for a draft document, she said there were too many questions left unanswered for it to be finalized.
“I don’t consider that a master schedule,” Constantine said.
OTA Vice President Chris Palmer asked the board “to look long and hard at the staff cuts.” He also said voters should be given the chance to decide which was more important, the tax levy or saving jobs.
“Give the voters the opportunity to say they can’t handle 4.8 percent,” Palmer said. “If people vote it down, we go back to the drawing board.”