Schools

10 Teacher Positions Cut in New Budget Proposal

Madison required to submit tentative balanced budget to state today.

Madison school district administrators are proposing cutting 10 certificated teaching positions as a way to submit a tentative balanced budget by the state’s Friday deadline.

In a presentation to the Thursday night, Business Administrator Gary Lane noted that the district’s previous revenue shortfall of $1.3 million had been cut to between $900,000 and $1 million after the state announced last week that it was returning $346,000 in school aid to Madison, up from zero aid in 2010-11 but down from $1.6 million in 2009-10.

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“We spent time reviewing budget reductions with administrators, and we are recommending reducing 10.7 certificated staff and three non-certificated staff,” Lane said. “We are also recommending reductions in athletics and other extra-curricular activities, an increase in the activity fee and other miscellaneous account line reductions.”

The proposed personnel cutbacks represents about 5% of the district's staff of 224 certificated teachers.

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Lane said district administrators are continuing to meet with budget managers and the finance committee “to fine-tune the things we need to eliminate from the budget by March 28. It’s a tough thing to do, and we are using a broad brush.”

The Board of Education has scheduled a series of public forums where it will discuss the proposed reductions. “We decided to go through the next $200,000 to $300,000 in cuts so everyone knows what it's going to be, and what a ‘no’ vote [for the budget] really means,” board member Patrick Rowe said.

The tentative budget was approved by vote with only Sam Cavaliere abstaining as he was still reviewing budget details.

The forum schedule:

Tuesday, March 8, 2011                    Kings Road School PTO Meeting – 8:45 am
Wednesday, March 9, 2011              High School PTO Meeting - 7:00 pm
Thursday, March 10, 2011                Budget Forum – MHS Media Center – 7:00 pm
Monday, March 14, 2011                   Torey J. Sabatini School PTO Meeting - 8:45 am
Tuesday, March 22, 2011                  Budget Forum – MHS Media Center – 7:00 pm
Tuesday, March 29, 2011                  BOE Meeting - adopt final budget - 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 31, 2011                Madison Junior School PTO Meeting - 7:30 pm
Monday, April 4, 2011                       Central Avenue School PTO Meeting - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, April 6, 2011                 Budget Review – MJS Media Center, 9:00 am
Wednesday, April 20, 2011              Budget Review – MHS Media Center, 7:00 pm


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