More Worries

I'm literally losing sleep over the fact that my future at this school district is pretty cloudy.

Currently, our school district is looking at a $1.4 million budget deficit for the upcoming 2006-2007 school year.

"Significant" cuts are going to have to be made. Not only teachers will be affected, but the administration as well. Athletics? Sure ... why not while we're cutting, but nobody's ever thought of bringing that up.

I'm frustrated, to say the least. I'm already considering this to be my dream job. I'm happy as ever, Katie's settled and going to school, everything is right with the world.

Then, I think back to my interview last summer. I remember specifically asking the high school and middle school principals about that budget outlook. "Oh, we've got a surplus..."

That was the talk all fall, about the surplus we had. Then, an auditor comes in and says that we're looking at our present deficit. Seriously, what in the fuck is going on?

I thought we had people in our business office, including people on the school board, that looks at these facts and figures. I'm not an expert on the budget and the politics of the everyday-goings-on in this school district, but somewhere in there -- things are drastically going wrong.

There are some factors that I do understand. The loss of enrollment -- the district figures we lost nearly 60 students in the last year -- and that's huge when it comes to money from the state. Transportation costs have gone up due to the rise in fuel (for example: we're taking a trip to a place 60 miles away and it's going to cost us nearly $240).

As an educator who teaches both in the middle and high schools, we have had the task set forth from our superintendent to figure out ways to save money. We came up with a boat-load of ideas -- but first and foremost, attempt to keep all teachers and paraprofessionals who effect and interact with students on a day-to-day basis.

But, I don't see that happening. I foresee some forced early-retirements (we've got a few teachers who have been here for around 35+ years) and the axe is going to fall on certain special education and newbie teachers, like myself.

It's a shame, really. Unfair? Depends on how you look at it. In a selfish sort of way, sure, it's unfair. Lied to, maybe? Those prinipals who interviewed me probably had no idea what the budget was going to be like in the next couple of years -- but I'm sure they had figures on what enrollment should have been like. There are many questions that will go unanswered.

Ultimately, the only victims in this situation will be the students. With cuts, there go extra programs, thereby stunting the students' educational growth. The only way out of this is that I see the school board raise a levy, increase the tax base within the district -- but from what I heard, a few on the school board strongly oppose a levy.

It's not even a school anymore. It's a business. If the school board and the community will not stand behind it and care about these students ... I don't know.

State law says that teachers affected by the cuts need to know by the latest June 1st. A little late, if you ask me. I was already looking last night.

The World of Suck. Spring '06.

MUCH more on this as it develops.