Plainfield School Board to use federal funds to save 83 jobs

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

PLAINFIELD — Instead of eliminating the district’s $6.7 million deficit by cutting about 112 jobs, Plainfield School Board voted 4-3 Monday night to use federal funds to save 83 positions.

That means many jobs on the chopping block have been given a reprieve for one year.

Those positions include instructional technology specialists, high school deans, physical education/health teachers, high school secretaries, middle school office clerks, registered nurses, learning lab aides, copy clerks and teacher assistants.

School board member Michelle Smith stressed that jobs were saved for just one year.

“In my opinion, you will be needing to look for a job,” she said.

The federal funds won’t save all jobs. The board agreed to lay off 12 reading recovery teachers and 15 differentiation specialists who teach gifted students to save about $1.8 million.

Last year, the board agreed to keep some of those teachers so schools would have time to transition to new programs to meet students’ needs. In January, the board agreed to layoff the assistant director for English language learners and one director in student services. Those cuts remain.

The board will eliminate principals’ cell phones, saving $37,620.

The board also agreed to a three-tier busing system to save $598,298 and to implement 5 percent budget cuts for buildings and departments, saving about $355,659.

Triple-tier busing has bus drivers handle three routes instead of two, eliminating the need for about 30 buses.

It also creates new start times for next school year. High school students will attend school from 7:05 a.m. to 2:16 p.m.; middle school students from 8 a.m. to 3:01 p.m. instead of 7:30 a.m. to 2:31 p.m.; and elementary school students from 9:10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. instead of 8:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The board said that any positions are open or become open will not be replaced, becoming part of the deficit-reduction process.

Superintendent’s choice

The board had a tough decision to make: Use $5.7 million in stimulus money to save jobs for just one year or make $6.7 million in cuts, eliminating up to 112 full-time positions and using the unbudgeted money to restructure a land loan.

Superintendent John Harper recommended cutting 112 full-time positions and making other cuts to save about $7.5 million, eliminating the deficit.

However, his deficit reduction plan did not include using a one-time payment of $5.7 million from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That money can only be used for salaries and benefits to retain existing employees, recall or rehire former employees and hire new employees to provide early childhood, elementary or secondary educational services.

Harper and his administration recommended that the district use the $5.7 million in stimulus money for current positions.

The money is not paid directly to the district, but reimbursed after the district spends the money from its own funds. The $5.7 million will be a reimbursement of money the district already spent, but the district considers the money an unbudgeted surplus.

Once the district was reimbursed by the state, Harper wanted to use the unbudgeted money to help restructure a loan expected to balloon from $500,000 in annual payments to $2.3 million in 2015.

Using the stimulus money to pay off the principal upfront and restructure the loan would free up $200,000 annually, which equates to three to four teaching jobs saved in the long-term, Harper said.

However, a majority of the board voiced concerns over using the money to pay off a long-term debt rather than save jobs for a year.

Board members Stuart Bledsoe, Rod Westfall, Michelle Smith and Roger Bonuchi voted to save jobs for one year.

“Teachers should not be the first line of cuts because they have the biggest effect on students,” said Bledsoe, the board’s president.

Board members Mike Kelly, Dave Obrzut and Eric Gallt were in favor of Harper’s deficit reduction plan that included restructuring a land loan to save $2.1 million over 10 years.

Gallt said staff will be asked not to receive raises tied to the Consumer Price Index.

“The $5.7 million could have been used to put us in a more stable fiscal condition,” Gallt said. “I believe this is going to be a sad day for the district.”

Obrzut also wanted to use the money to restructure the loan.

“It’s a one-time cash payment. I’m in favor of long-term stability of the district,” he said. “I absolutely don’t want to see anyone lose their jobs, but the financial hardship that we are in right now calls for drastic measures.”

Harper said if the board didn’t eliminate the $6.7 million deficit this year, the deficit will increase by $300,000 to $7 million. The district is projecting another $3 million deficit for next year. That means the district would be attacking a $10 million deficit.

Kelly said it has been a difficult several months for the board as members tried to agree to a solution to eliminate the deficit.

“There are times I disagreed very vehemently with the process,” Kelly said. “But you have to look at each person at this table and know they were voting with their heart and with respect for the people who work for us in this district.”

Bledsoe agreed it was a tough decision.

“I hope we did the right thing,” he said.