School Board talks staffing levels, cost control/By Martha Knight

Staff cuts enabled by attrition helped balance the 2013-14 budget, and may be the way to go in upcoming years, according to outgoing Port Allegany School District superintendent Tony Flint.

That was part of Flint’s overview of cost containment measures needed to balance the budget, as well as his advice concerning future school budgets.

When board member Scott Moses asked whether “the board should anticipate deficit budgets for years to come,” business manager Judy Bodamer shot back, “That’s not gonna happen.”

Moses appeared to be referring to the recurring struggles to balance the general fund budget this time of year, so as to file the required balanced budget by June 30.

Flint pointed out that personnel costs drive budget preparation, and major factors in those calculations are predetermined by existing labor contracts.

When federal stimulus and other special funding were available, Flint said, “We have had the luxury” of maintaining staffing levels virtually untouched, “although enrollment has been declining for about ten years.”

In the coming school term there may be fewer sections or class groups in some elementary grades, and in certain departments in the junior-senior high school.

One possible cut would redistribute second graders into three sections. During public comments, teacher Mary Stavisky, heading a delegation of second grade teachers, asked the board to consider leaving that grade at four groups, stressing the instructional advantages of the present classifications, which she listed as Inclusion, Transition, Average and Challenge. Flint had said the funds had not been subtracted from this year’s budget allocations, so far.

Low class sizes may have to be rethought, Flint said, in coming years. He said other districts in the area have had to eliminate some existing jobs, dismissing some employees, while Port Allegany School District has been able to retain current employees while not always filling retirement vacancies.

Another major cost to school districts is that of former employees, in the form of surging pension costs, as well as health coverage premiums. Board member Rod Howard indicated combined costs would be about $794,000 this year.

Bodamer carried the ball on some of that discussion, noting that the state subsidizes school districts for 450 percent of their costs of funding those costs. Even so, “the taxpayer gets a double whammy,” through local and state taxes.

School board candidate Mark Carlson asked, “Do you have any idea where you are going to get” the necessary funding to cover those costs in coming years?

Bodamer explained, “We have a designated fund” that is used to those outlays over several years, and Flint noted that there is a multi-district health care consortium. Meanwhile, Governor Tom Corbett’s administration is trying to rein in those personnel costs.

One indication of ongoing labor issues was adoption of a resolution to extend the district’s contract with the support staff union, if no agreement is reached by its expiration on June 30.

The board approved promoting Robert Rankin (30 years experience) to the head custodian job at the high school. In another decision, the board approved transferring Timothy Dynda to fill Rankin’s day shift at no change in salary or benefits. The changes appear to be domino effect from the recent retirement of Dave Morey as head custodian.

Wendy Roys was approved as a support staff member, apparently for an unspecified clerical position, pending completion of clearance paperwork.

Dr. Philip Carlson was reappointed school dentist, at an unchanged rate of $5 per examination if there at least 100, or $7 if there are fewer.

The board approved 14 supplemental salary positions, including some department chairs, coaching and advisory jobs, at salaries set in the recently adopted professional staff agreement.

Department head appointments went to Matthew Lawton, English; Nicholas LaBella, mathematics; Wallace Finn, science; and George Riley, social studies. Each will receive $2,227 extra

Daniel Stavisky will receive $5,810 as athletic director. Ken Myers will be show choir director for $2,918, and vocal and dramatics director for $1,819.

LaBella was named senior class advisor for $525. Erin Moran will be Student Council advisor, $1,428 and prom advisor, $982; Kimberly Bowser will be yearbook advisor for $2,512.

Named to coaching duties were Bradley Greenman Jr., head wrestling coach, $5,468; Ron Daniels, junior high volleyball, $1,420; and Pamela Terrette, JV volleyball, $1,890.

Board members adopted a resolution setting the 2013 homestead/farmstead exclusion from real estate taxes at $203.66.

Also approved was the insurance package recommended by Sundahl & Company, which totaled $87,191, an increase of $8,915.

Contracts with IU9 for 2013-14 enrichment service at a cost of  $41,382, and special education services for $883,568, were approved on roll call votes, 8—0.

A new textbook and related materials for the elementary reading program were approved. The “Journeys Common Core “ set is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and will cost about $105,000.

Elementary principal Terry Kriner told the board that the new playground surface is “much more cushy” than the crushed stone it replaced, which was “brutal.” The shredded rubber material was applied to a depth of several inches, but does not have a seal or membrane over it.

Board member Sean Lathrop commented wryly that similar material was criticized by artificial turf naysayers as a source of unhealthful chemicals and potential pollution.

The board adopted a number of year-end measures giving the superintendent or administration certain special between-meeting powers to run the district in the hiatus between the June and August meetings.

The superintendent was authorized to fill vacant positions, to approve change orders up to $15,000 relating to the site and stadium improvements now in progress, and to sign and submit all grant applications with imminent deadlines, all “subject to subsequent approval by the board.”

The administration was authorized to pay bills and payrolls that fall during the interim, and to make transfers in the 2012-13 budget to reflect actual expenditures, also subject to later board approval.

The board met in executive session after the public meeting. President Dave Mensch said the purpose of the meeting was to deal with personnel matters, and that the board would not reconvene in open session afterward.

It is anticipated that the board will hold a special meeting before long to hire a superintendent and an elementary principal. Flint and Kriner have resigned, and their retirements will become effective in August.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be at 7 p.m. August 12, in the large group instruction room of the elementary school.