My Content

City schools may up teacher work days
by ELIZABETH CRUMBLY
May 16, 2011 | 2450 views | 18 18 comments | 9 9 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Calhoun city schools officials are considering an increase in the number of paid workdays for teachers.

A normal work year for teachers used to be 190 days; currently, city schools teachers are being paid for 180 days.

“What we’re looking at here is stepping that up to 186 (work days),” explained City Schools Finance Director Don Hood.

Calhoun City School officials presented a tentative budget to the city council during the council work session Monday; the plan included a budget scenario for 186 teacher workdays with a comparison to a 190-day schedule – a “normal schedule” for years past, explained Hood.

Estimated total expenditures for the 186-day schedule came to $23,853,005; estimated total revenues were $22,574,969. For a “normal,” 190-day schedule, estimated expenditures would be $24,293,005; estimated revenues came to $22,574,969.

At this point, there is a $1,278,036 deficit in the 186-day scenario between revenues and expenditures. The plan is to fill the funding hole with federal jobs funds received in 2011 and money from general fund reserves, Hood said.

He emphasized that a final number of teacher workdays has not been determined, and these numbers are subject to change before the board sets its 2011-2012 fiscal year budget later this year.

“We’re pretty much trying to hold things steady,” he said, in terms of finalizing finances for the upcoming fiscal year.

The projected increase in general fund spending for 2011-2012 (up from $22.2 million in 2010-2011) is due to an increase in salaries in benefits. The system will add four teaching positions due to student body growth, Hood explained.

According to the 186-day scenario:

The largest portion of expenditures again go to employee salaries and benefits, making up a combined total of 81.59 percent of the budget at $14,561,964 and $4,900,596, respectively.

The major portion of revenues - 81.83 percent - comes from the state; the other most significant source is local school taxes at 43.72 percent.

Hood said he is unsure whether city residents will see a change in their property taxes in relation to the school budget.

“We have a preliminary tax digest, but we won’t really, I think, know (whether there will be a tax increase) until we get the final tax digest,” he explained. “My goal would be not to do that.”

City schools will also feel the loss of some federal funding.

Estimated local tax collections for the city school system for 2011-2012 come to $9,878,433, down from $9,900,000 in 2010-2011, according to the school system’s five-year tax levy history.

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funds are not included in the 2012 budget; they will run out June 30 of this year, Hood said. The city school’s portion in for the current and last school year came to about $1.8 million. The city is also losing about $1.2 million in federal ARRA grants on June 30.
Share This Article |
similar stories

GATE Academy returns to Calhoun Elementary | 10 days ago

SHS business teacher wins top five in nomination contest | 11 days ago by ABBEY LENNON

CES uses hat day to fight cancer | 15 days ago

Crews dig through night after deadly Okla. twister | 4 days ago by NOMAAN MERCHANT, TIM TALLEY,Associated Press

Huddle House serves CES, CPS teachers | 5 days ago

Comments
(18)
Comments-icon Post a Comment
towncriers
|
May 17, 2011
I seriously doubt that the superintendent asked for a pay raise in this tough time for schools. I do know that some personel work year round and teachers work when school is in session. The superintendent is one that has to work all the time to keep the schools running and planned. I think it is really sad that there are so many teachers getting out of college and can not find a job and there are so many teachers who really don't want to teach that need to move over for those who do. Just my two cents.
Reply
franklyspeakn
|
May 17, 2011
sounds like gataxpayer is mad at a Board member or the school system or the superintendent. maybe they need to sit in one of those positions and make all the decisions. this article focuses on the huge need to help our teachers. I say thanks to the board
Reply
gataxpayer
|
May 17, 2011
Only the Board members are elected and they hire the Supt. and approve all pay raises.

No, the story does not say anything about a pay raise for the Supt. Next time you see any of your Board members, you should ask them directly.
Reply
npcomaster
|
May 17, 2011
The story does not state that the superintendent would be accepting a pay raise. The increased paid workdays would be for teachers.
Reply
positiveoutlook
|
May 17, 2011
At a rate of $123,000 a year I would hope not considering they are increasing class sizes and can't afford to pay first year teachers $35,000.
Reply
positiveoutlook
|
May 17, 2011
The superintendent is not an elected position......is it????
Reply
gataxpayer
|
May 17, 2011
When is the next School Board election and how many Board members are up for reelection ?
Reply
Iwantequalrights
|
May 17, 2011
Other than the few respectable people that do it for love most qualified enough to teach are smart enough to do something else. As for the executive branch of anything including education, I feel heads should always role first from the top simply because they are usually the most overpaid and most expendable. At the other end of the spectrum state employee's such as classroom teachers, highway law enforcement officers ,etc.,who are already being furlowed should have been the last simply because we'll pay dearly in the future if fields such as these decide to get laxed within their roles.
Reply
goodcitizen
|
May 16, 2011
An even better question is how can such superintendent accept a raise when teachers are taking furlough days and having jobs cut due to budget deficits? What kind of person, who is already the highest paid school official in the city, can sleep at night knowing they were rewarded when the ones who do the real work are having their already underpaid status reduced or cut completely? Wake up Calhoun City Schools and voters...
Reply
gataxpayer
|
May 16, 2011
"there is a $1,278,036 deficit in the 186-day scenario between revenues and expenditures."

"Estimated local tax collections for the city school system for 2011-2012 come to $9,878,433, down from $9,900,000 in 2010-2011, according to the school system’s five-year tax levy history."

"city is also losing about $1.2 million in federal ARRA grants on June 30."

Given these three facts alone, how can the School Board propose a pay increase for the current superintendant ????

Will all school system employess receive the same percentage of a raise ?

Reply
cevlg3
|
May 16, 2011
Well said mustbeademocrat. Not many people know how hard teachers work!
Reply
risch
|
May 16, 2011
To mustbeadem, I love it when people make assumptions about me. You have made the following unfounded assumptions about me:

-that my education level and monetary worth are low.

-that I don't know what a teacher's job entails.

-the education required to become a teacher.

I have spent a lot of time with teachers observing what goes on in the classroom and after school. I stand by my statement that when a person is choosing a career path they need to thoroughly research it and be satisfied with their choice.

To positiveoutlook, I am aware of the cutbacks and out of work teachers. I am trying to make a simple point. We all have choices in life. Make wise choices and be satisfied with them or else take a different path.
Reply
positiveoutlook
|
May 16, 2011
Believe what you wish to believe! The pay scale and the number of days worked were probably all looked at by each individual when deciding their career path. Most opt for the lower salary in exchange for the time off. For your information not all qualified teachers have a job teaching right now because of the cut-backs. I know of several people that have gotten their teaching degrees in the last 4 years and are still not employed. Most of which are teaching but being paid a lesser salary which is not even equivalent to un-employment.
Reply
risch
|
May 16, 2011
So, am I to believe that these teachers were not intelligent enough to look at that pay scale before making this career choice? They all say that they do it for the love of teaching. If so, they need to accept it and be glad that they have a job.
Reply
positiveoutlook
|
May 16, 2011
Take a look at the pay scale before you start complaining about work days. The "average teacher" probably doesn't make above $45,000 in georgia. Look at the cost of getting a college education and then do the math on how long it will take you to break even with this salary. I do agree that the administrators pay scale is out of control and the pay scale is out of balance but the average teacher pay is barely average compared to jobs in the private sector.
Reply
RobertELee
|
May 16, 2011
My job requires 243 work days, if I could only work 190, I'd be happy.
Reply
risch
|
May 16, 2011
Before you start paying teachers for more days you need to make them work on the days that they are already paid for. While my daughter was in school she had substitute teachers too often. I know that if I were absent from my job as often as some of her teachers I would be out of a job.
Reply
Postings are not edited and are the responsibility of the author. You agree not to post comments that are abusive, threatening or obscene. Postings may be removed at our discretion.