Troy schools reduces staff at libraries

By Terry Oparka
C & G Staff Writer

Despite pleas from teachers, media specialists, parents and students, the Troy School District Board of Education eliminated a portion of the media specialist staff as part of the $137.4 million 2009-10 district budget.

District officials said the cuts were needed to close a $10.9 million budget hole.

Four of 12 elementary media specialists and two high school media positions will be eliminated. In addition, one high school assistant principal, three high school counselors, the director of fine arts, and two clerical positions will also be eliminated.

These staff reductions result in a savings to the district of approximately $2.5 million, district officials said.

The 2009-10 budget includes 12 elementary media aide positions at an annual cost of $56,000 total, which will allow the elementary media centers to remain open during school hours.      The reduction of the four elementary media specialists and the two high school media specialists will result in a savings of $385,000 annually, not including the cost of media aides, said Community Relations Director Tim McAvoy.

He said elementary students will maintain 25 minutes per week of instructional time with the media specialist, and the media aide’s duties will include cataloging and book repair.

The board voted 6-1 to approve the budget with the staff reductions. School Board Secretary Todd Milleti voted against approval.

“I prefer to fund these cuts elsewhere,” he said. “I appreciate the compromise with the media aides to provide access. … Media specialists provide instruction.” He said he would prefer to postpone making the cuts for two or three years. “I’m fine with that,” he said. “This is about elementary students not having the opportunity that previous students have had.”

Earlier this spring, the board voted to privatize transportation, food service, janitorial and grounds services. That resulted in a savings to the district of approximately $3.713 million for the 2009-10 budget year, according to district officials.

Sheri DeCew, media specialist at Wattles Elementary, told the school board that the savings from eliminating media specialists is not justifiable. She said that more than 800 people signed an online petition to protest the elimination of the media center positions, and suggested using the fund balance to keep the positions.

Parent Sharon Robertson said school services are being eroded away.

Roberta Masters, president of the Troy Educational Association, urged the board to postpone cutting media staff.

“Step back and give yourself time,” she said. “Nothing here tonight is a matter of life and death. The media program works, why change what works?”

“This has been a very difficult year,” said Board President Carol Pochodylo. She noted that $42 million has been cut out of the district operating budget since 2002, due to declining state revenues. 

She noted that 85 percent of the district’s expenses are personnel. “We’re at the point now where we have to make decisions that impact the classroom,” she said.  

Pochodylo said she recognized that the board’s recent decisions are unpopular. “We’re doing our best not to eliminate programs,” she said. “We’re not getting rid of the media programs.”

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Jasen Witt said that with the 80 teachers who accepted early retirements this year, the staff impacted by the reductions would be reassigned. “With no additional resignations, if we delay cuts for one year, we would be facing teacher layoffs,” he said. He noted that he didn’t expect the usual annual turnover number of between 12 and 15 staff members to occur for the next two years due to the 80 early retirements this year.

The 2009-10 budget maintains a $19.787 million ending fund balance and a $1.284 million surplus. In 2010-11, there is a projected deficit of $12.652 million and a fund balance of $7.1 million. This will increase to a $15.6 million deficit in 2011-12, an $18.271 million shortfall in 2012-13, and a $21.266 million deficit in 2013-14, when fund balances are estimated to be $48 million in the red.

“For the first time in the 17 years I have been here, the tax base is going down,” said Mike Adamczyk, assistant superintendent for business services. He said that Oakland Schools expects the trend to continue for the next five years.

Per pupil funding in the Troy School District for the current budget year is $9,523; $9,258 of that is from the state School Aid Fund and the difference of $265 per pupil is funded with federal stimulus funds.

In 2009-10, stimulus funds will account for $100 per pupil. However, federal stimulus funds are not anticipated for 2011-12 and beyond, and further reductions are expected in the School Aid Fund.

“All the school districts across the state are marching toward this (funding) cliff at the same time,” Adamczyk said.