By Deborah Sederberg, LaPorte Herald-Argus
Staff Writer
NEW CARLISLE - Teachers and other employees could help to ease budgetary woes in the New Prairie United School Corp. if they would come to work more often and if they, along with every other corporation employee, take a 1 percent pay cut.
Superintendent Philip V. Bender told the New Prairie school board Monday he is asking every employee, "including myself," to take a 1 percent pay cut.
New Prairie, like every public school corporation in the state, is dealing with blows to the education budget. Indiana public schools are absorbing a $300 million cut to the 2010 budget.
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett has said the budget cuts should be seen as permanent.
"This isn't going to change next year," Bender said. New Prairie likely will lose $711,000.
"We surely want to maintain our great graduation rate," said board member Al Williamson in discussing cuts the board will have to make.
The corporation's graduation rate is 93.1 percent.
The board already has offered a retirement buy-out to teachers. The offer is good only if between five and 10 teachers accept it, business manager Keith Dennis explained.
On Monday, the board approved $334,147 in cuts, ranging from reducing library aides' hours to reducing hours and days for the secretarial staff, eliminating the high school health aide position, reducing hours for the custodial staff, reducing building temperatures and hours, charging for building use and even eliminating field trips that require substitute teachers.