Letter to the Editor: Board of Education Encourages Community to Support the Levy

The following is a letter from the members of the Board of Education to the Brecksville-Broadview Heights communities, submitted by the district’s director of community relations.

Dear Community Members:

During the past two calendar years, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Board of Education approved and helped to implement cost reductions in programs, services and personnel that total over $3 million, most of it recurring from year to year. Despite this, our costs still rose, albeit at a slower rate. During the same time period, the state decreased our funding significantly, undermining our efforts to balance the budget. Accordingly, the Board requested additional funding from the voters twice. Twice the voters said no. In response the Board further reduced its costs by, among other things, negotiating new teacher and staff contracts that include an increase in employee contributions to health care costs, an “Absolute Freeze” on teachers’ salaries for 2011-2012 and a restructuring of the state mandated compensation grid. The Board also hired a new Superintendent who assisted in reducing staffing, administrative costs, and equipment and supplies costs. These cuts resulted in an additional $1 million of one time savings and about $1.2 million of annual recurring savings. This results in a lower cost structure.

These cuts have enabled us to delay the implementation of any additional taxes for a year and to reduce the amount of our proposed May 2011 school levy to 5.3 mills. At the same time, we recognize we need to take more action to reduce future cost increases; including continuing to reduce the costs of the salaries and benefits, which comprise 86% of the District’s operating expenses. Changes in process in the State Legislature will facilitate additional long term savings, but will not eliminate the need for new dollars in the near term.

We regard every tax dollar as a personal sacrifice, entrusted to us to educate children and to improve the quality of our local community, state and nation. We pledge to spend every dollar wisely and to continue to make structural changes that exhibit good stewardship of resources. In collaboration with parents, our staff, community members and students, the board pledges to carry forward the tradition of excellence for which our district is known. We respectfully ask for your “vote of support” on May 3, 2011.

Please contact any one of us with your thoughts or questions. Thank you.

George J. Balasko, President. balaskog@bbhcsd.org

Mark Janzten, Vice President. mjantz60@aol.com

Kathleen Mack. mackk@bbhcsd.org

Alan Scheufler. ascheufler01@aol.com

David Tryon. tryond@bbhcsd.org

Editor’s note: The views of these authors—and of the authors of any other letters to the editor—do not reflect the views of Brecksville Patch. To share your views with the community on Brecksville Patch, email Editor Rachel Abbey.