Ledyard Teachers to Vote on Givebacks
January 7, 2010
Administrators and central office employees in the Ledyard school district have agreed to forgo raises next year and teachers in town are set to vote on the same measure today, part of an ongoing effort to cut costs in the school budget.
The news came from Superintendent of Schools Michael Graner, who briefed the town’s Board of Education Wednesday night on work to save money in next year’s school budget, which could rise by more than $1.5 million due to contractual increases and a decrease in state aid.
"It takes courage to do the right thing in difficult times, especially when not everyone agrees what direction to go," said board Chairman Sharon Hightower, who thanked administrators and central office staff for agreeing to go without wage increases.
Salaries make up more than three-quarters of the Board of Education budget.
"Education is a very people-centric field," Graner said.
Tonight at 7 p.m., the school district will hold a hearing at Ledyard High School to discuss next year’s budget, which the board must have completed by its Feb. 12 meeting to meet the town’s Feb. 15 deadline. Next week, board members will attend PTO meetings at each school in the district to further engage concerned parents.
In addition to employee concessions, the Board of Education is weighing several other options, including restructuring the town’s elementary schools and reducing the number of electives offered at the high school. Last month, the board held a workshop for parents to offer cost-saving suggestions and ask questions. Wednesday night Graner presented parents’ concerns and questions to the board.
Some suggestions, like eliminating bus service or having students bring their own school supplies, were dismissed because of requirements from the state government.
"There is no plan, nor is it legal, to get rid of buses and have parents drive their kids," said Gordon Strickland, the board’s vice chairman.
But reducing the number of bus routes remained a viable option. Each bus taken out of service brings $40,000 in savings to the district, in addition to savings on fuel.
Other suggestions, like finding ways to further reduce transportation and administrative costs or sharing resources with the town government or other school districts, remain on the table, Graner said.
"There are lots of things being suggested," Hightower said. "Some work and some don’t, but we’re going to keep looking."