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A trim school year opens
Budget cuts numbers off workforce
By JIMMY WILLIAMS
Tideland News Writer
This year’s school opening “ in the face of budget cuts at the state level “ is likely a bit more stressful than many principals would like.
In Onslow County, fewer funds mean fewer teachers.
“We lost two teacher positions and three teacher assistant positions,” said Elaine Justice, principal at Queens Creek Elementary School. At the same time, the student population is rising. “We don’t expect to ever go down.”
Barry Collins, assistant superintendent, said each school is being asked to use its resources where needed the most.
“We have not specifically targeted any program to be cut,” he added. “Principals have to make very difficult decisions about programs and in some cases that decision is based on student interest. For example, if the number of students requesting a certain class is very low, then the principal must decide if the program should continue given the current budget reduction.”
Even as school officials in Onslow and Carteret counties are preparing for next week’s first day, important information is being formulated at the state level that will determine how teachers can be best used.
“Principals are given a teacher allotment based on the number of teachers the system is allotted by the state,” Collins explained. “The allotment is calculated based on the number of students.
“The information we received from the state (so far) is that student to teacher ratios would increase and the best estimate of that increase meant Onslow County Schools would be 108 teachers fewer in 2009-10 than 2008-09.”
Dr. Dan Novey, Carteret County’s superintendent of schools, said that the state budget is signed and the education figures have been sent to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. At this writing, he was waiting for DPI officials to allot education money for the state’s schools.
“We have carefully followed all the news coming from Raleigh during the budget process and have tried to track the spending plan, comparing it to the steps we have taken in anticipation of the kind of plan that might be created in light of the state’s financial issues,” he said. “Until we receive our actual allocations from DPI we will not know exactly how much money will be allotted by the state.”
Like Queens Creek, the other four Onslow County schools in Swansboro will lose teachers.
Collins said Sand Ridge Elementary and Swansboro Elementary would lose three each, Swansboro Middle would lose three and Swansboro High would lose four.
On the bright side, he said the adjustments have been made without having to initiate any reduction in force policy.
That pleases Justice.
“All of our employees realize that this is a unique moment in North Carolina history,” she said. “We understand that there a lot of people - looking at not going back to work in fall.
“The board of education has made a commitment that no employee will lose a job,”
The downsizing at her school, for example, has come through retirement and transfers.
Carteret County will not produce final teacher numbers until DPI provides final budget figures, according to Novey. He did say he hopes all necessary staff reduction has taken place
“I am cautiously optimistic,” he said. “We may not have to make any more staff reductions - largely due to the fact that we already instated furloughs and reductions. We took those actions in anticipation of the predicted reductions from the state.
“Our Board of Education planned ahead and I believe those actions will carry us through these economically difficult times.”
More challenges are ahead, according to Justice.
“We are going to have to buckle down - to pull together as a family and take care of our students,” she said.
It will be imperative that each school look at the resources available “ human and otherwise “ be careful how they are used and share responsibly.
“They are trying to be very sensitive,” Justice said of her staff members. “That has been the good thing. We are looking at everything we do all day long and making sure we do it as efficiently as we can. This is going to be a challenge.”
If there is any comfort in these trying times it is this: The problem is not unique to Onslow or Carteret school systems.
“We are not alone in this,” Justice said.
This year’s school opening “ in the face of budget cuts at the state level “ is likely a bit more stressful than many principals would like.
In Onslow County, fewer funds mean fewer teachers.
“We lost two teacher positions and three teacher assistant positions,” said Elaine Justice, principal at Queens Creek Elementary School. At the same time, the student population is rising. “We don’t expect to ever go down.”
Barry Collins, assistant superintendent, said each school is being asked to use its resources where needed the most.
“We have not specifically targeted any program to be cut,” he added. “Principals have to make very difficult decisions about programs and in some cases that decision is based on student interest. For example, if the number of students requesting a certain class is very low, then the principal must decide if the program should continue given the current budget reduction.”
Even as school officials in Onslow and Carteret counties are preparing for next week’s first day, important information is being formulated at the state level that will determine how teachers can be best used.
“Principals are given a teacher allotment based on the number of teachers the system is allotted by the state,” Collins explained. “The allotment is calculated based on the number of students.
“The information we received from the state (so far) is that student to teacher ratios would increase and the best estimate of that increase meant Onslow County Schools would be 108 teachers fewer in 2009-10 than 2008-09.”
Dr. Dan Novey, Carteret County’s superintendent of schools, said that the state budget is signed and the education figures have been sent to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. At this writing, he was waiting for DPI officials to allot education money for the state’s schools.
“We have carefully followed all the news coming from Raleigh during the budget process and have tried to track the spending plan, comparing it to the steps we have taken in anticipation of the kind of plan that might be created in light of the state’s financial issues,” he said. “Until we receive our actual allocations from DPI we will not know exactly how much money will be allotted by the state.”
Like Queens Creek, the other four Onslow County schools in Swansboro will lose teachers.
Collins said Sand Ridge Elementary and Swansboro Elementary would lose three each, Swansboro Middle would lose three and Swansboro High would lose four.
On the bright side, he said the adjustments have been made without having to initiate any reduction in force policy.
That pleases Justice.
“All of our employees realize that this is a unique moment in North Carolina history,” she said. “We understand that there a lot of people - looking at not going back to work in fall.
“The board of education has made a commitment that no employee will lose a job,”
The downsizing at her school, for example, has come through retirement and transfers.
Carteret County will not produce final teacher numbers until DPI provides final budget figures, according to Novey. He did say he hopes all necessary staff reduction has taken place
“I am cautiously optimistic,” he said. “We may not have to make any more staff reductions - largely due to the fact that we already instated furloughs and reductions. We took those actions in anticipation of the predicted reductions from the state.
“Our Board of Education planned ahead and I believe those actions will carry us through these economically difficult times.”
More challenges are ahead, according to Justice.
“We are going to have to buckle down - to pull together as a family and take care of our students,” she said.
It will be imperative that each school look at the resources available “ human and otherwise “ be careful how they are used and share responsibly.
“They are trying to be very sensitive,” Justice said of her staff members. “That has been the good thing. We are looking at everything we do all day long and making sure we do it as efficiently as we can. This is going to be a challenge.”
If there is any comfort in these trying times it is this: The problem is not unique to Onslow or Carteret school systems.
“We are not alone in this,” Justice said.
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The Truth wrote on Aug 20, 2009 6:13 PM: