Cary School District 26 Prepares for Possible School Closing

Despite ongoing negotiations between the Cary District 26 Board of Education and the Cary Education Association, Superintendent Brian Coleman outlined a time-line on tier-two cuts and potentially closing a school.

The board has asked the teachers' union to take $2.5 million in wage and benefit concessions in order to make-up for the $2.1 million deficit for fiscal year 2012.

A board resolution of a balanced budget was approved Oct. 25, 2010, which requires the administration to only present balanced-budget options for the 2011-2012 fiscal budget.

“As a district, as a superintendent, as a administrative team, we have to continue to balance our budgets each year as we move forward, “ Superintendent Brian Coleman said.

Coleman added, “We can’t continue to fall back into the patterns of the past, where we over-spend our budget.”

The administration presented a plan of reductions, which were broken into tier one and tier two.

At the Feb. 28 board meeting, 5.5 full-time equivalent positions were cut for the 2011-12 school year, which was apart of tier 1 cuts. The estimated result of cost reductions is $423,500.

Also, within in tier one cuts, included areas were operations, purchased services and employee salaries. The largest reduction within tier one is the teachers’ union agreeing to the wage and benefit concessions of $2.5 million, which the union and the board have yet to agree on.

The tier two reductions were presented as a worst -case scenario, if concessions weren’t made. Within tier two, the administration recommends closing one school and cutting 16.5 full-time equivalent positions, which would have a cost-savings of $1.39 million.

“Certainly, operational efficiency is critical to a cash-strapped district and absolutely need to add efficiencies’ where they make sense, unfortunately, that can’t continue to happen at the expense of students educationally,” Vicki Pesch, who finished her two-year term as a board member at last night meeting said.

Pesch added, “I don’t believe at this point and time, tier two is a reasonable plan for any of the stakeholders.”

Through all of the reductions, negotiations and a possible school closing, the goal has been to balance the budget so the district can have financial stability.

“We’re not only looking out for the students that are going to be here next year or the next year, we’re looking out for the students that are 1-year-old, haven’t been born, that are going to go here,” Julie Jette board member said.

Jette added, “Yes we’re asking for big concessions, a lot of our stuff was given out on promises of money we didn’t have, we can’t borrow that money anymore. Our overwhelming obligation is to a balanced budget.”

Board member Chris Jenner said I don’t think anyone is looking forward to the tier two-scenario. Jenner posed the question, “Somebody have an alternative?”

Vice-president Jason Larry said, “I don’t have the answer for Mr. Jenner’s question.”

The Board of Education will vote to close a school at a special board meeting May 2.

                                     Administration Recommendations

Additonal to Consider to balance the budget if Wage/Benefit Concessions aren't reached.

(FTE: An FTE of 1.0 means that the person is equivalent to a full-time worker, while an FTE of 0.5 signals that the worker is only half-time)