Dolton 149 Phone Service Cost Cutting Saves School District $30,000

(Calumet City, IL) – A telephone service cost cutting effort by Dolton School District 149 has saved the south suburban district $30,000, according to school officials.

Thanks to a service efficiency initiative authorized by district’s school board more than a year ago, the amount Dolton 149 paid to AT&T for local telephone service dropped from $48,000 to $18,000 in Fiscal Year 2016 over Fiscal Year 2015, according to the district’s business manager.

“By contracting with a telecom expense management firm that conducts communications audits to identify billing errors and to eliminate service inefficiencies, we reduced the district’s phone bill by 62.5% in one-year,” said District 149 business manager Cedric Lewis. “That’s money that can go back into the classroom.”

Dolton 149 School Board President Darlene Gray-Everett hailed the results and credited the board’s commitment to “squeezing savings” from vendor contracts wherever possible.

“Squeezing savings and pursuing efficiencies with vendors wherever we can, this effort reflects Dolton 149’s commitment to sound financial management in order invest more resources in our classrooms,” said Gray-Everett. “I’m thrilled with the $30,000 saved on phone service.”

Gray-Everett also noted that the school board approved at its January 26 meeting a new photo copying proposal that will save the district $45,000 each year.

“We look in every nook-and-cranny in our budget to identify potential savings,” said Gray-Everett. “This is money that can be used for educating our students.”

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