AVON — Budget shortfalls are being blamed for the reduction in force within the Avon Community School Corp. School leaders announced Monday that 36 certified staff members were among the cuts being made. Of those, 34 are teachers and two are administrators.
The school board also voted to make non-certified staff reductions and reductions in extra-curricular positions.
”The board approaches this meeting agenda today with heavy hearts because our decisions will affect our school family,” board president Gary Brinkman said. “Avon School Corporation will not be the same after losing these valued teachers and employees. Individual lives will be negatively impacted through no fault of their own.”
The teachers were notified of the cuts last week.
”Having met with each of those folks individually, I am disheartened by having to let go of just some great young people,” Superintendent Dr. Tim Ogle said.
The cuts being made should account for $3.9 million in the corporation’s 2012 budget.
”Avon Community School Corp. is a large, suburban school district with needs, expectations, and obligations that are very different from those just a few years ago,” Brinkman said. “The budget is complex and its fiscal situation even more complicated due the changes and cuts in state funding of education.”
Brinkman said permanent tax caps that are part of the state constitution will cost the school $6.6 million in revenue in 2011 and additional losses in 2012. He said school officials anticipate more than a $13 million loss in local funding over the two years. He also said that the state informed the corporation in December that it would make additional cuts that would reduce Avon’s funding by 4.5 percent.
”Immediately after learning of the planned reduction in state funding, and before pursuing the referendum, the administration and school board began doing all budgets, especially the operating budget and began planning and implementing aggressive cost containment reduction strategies,” Brinkman said.
The corporation responded by cutting 3.5 school administrators, reducing numbers and hours of clerical support, eliminating funding of after school programs and ISTEP remediation programs, closing the Avon Intermediate East School pool, and more. They also developed a number of ways to increase revenue, such as establishing tuition-based full-day kindergarten.
When the budget cuts did not cease, the school pursued the referendum that would have raised $3.4 million to the general fund annually by increasing taxes by 17 cents per $100 of assessed value. Voters in the district rejected that referendum in the May election.
”Since nearly 90 percent of our school’s operating budget funds personnel cost, this means that the community voted to cut personnel cost, to lay off teachers, and increase class sizes,” Brinkman said. “If the referendum had passed, we would not have called this special meeting today or be conducting this unpleasant school business today. We are not closing the book on our financial concerns, only turning the page to a new chapter for Avon schools, while continuing to address the challenges of these difficult economic times.”
Along with the staff cuts, the board voted to close an Outdoor Learning Center between Maple and White Oak elementary schools and to enact a “program support fee” for athletics. In order to participate in athletics at the high school or middle schools, students will need to pay a $50 fee. Ogle said that the school is hopeful that a community group will come forward and assume responsibility the Outdoor Learning Center, but as of now, none has surfaced.
Ogle also addressed murmurings that he had received a $30,000 bonus.
”You may have heard that I recently received an increase in compensation that amounted to $30,000,” he said. “That is not factual. What is true is that in 2007, the board established a ‘pay at risk’ compensation model for the superintendent. This compensation allows for the board to hold me accountable for implementing their annual goals for the district. Through this process of pay for performance, the board decides if my goals have been met and then establishes how much of this at risk salary to release.”
Ogle said such a pay model is not rare in the state and that new legislation will require school boards to implement similar models for all educators, beginning in 2012.
As part of the budget cut summary, Ogle said he took a $10,000 pay cut next year.
Other ACSC cuts
- Reduction of board/administrator insurance benefit, saving $55,000;
- Bus route revisions that add five minutes to all routes and reduces five routes, saving $129,000;
- Closing of Administration Center for 10 additional days throughout the year, saving $62,000;
- Increasing building rental fees, potentially bringing in $17,000; and
- Custodial/maintenance/transportation staff reductions of 11 positions through attrition, saving $400,000.