Saving Jobs! Preserving Benefits!
The Federation + Superintendent + School Board…Working Together = Saving Jobs and Preserving Benefits
Superintendent Gayle Sloan will recommend a revised budget to the School Board for its consideration at the December 1st Committee as a Whole meeting in the C.J. Schoen Board Room at 7:00 pm. The proposal provides estimates of revenue adjustments in…
- State Minimum Foundation Program
- Property tax
- Sales tax for the current fiscal year
The revised budget also contains efforts to reduce spending in line with the estimated revenue reductions.
The Proposal …SAVING JOBS
- Maintains the full-time workforce that was in place prior to Hurricane Katrina
- Personnel reductions would occur through attrition
- Long-term substitutes hired after school re-opened on October 3, 2005, would be replaced at mid-term by teachers from overstaffed schools, unless certification requirements prevent it
- Mr. Jabbia will be visiting applicable schools before Christmas to discuss the procedures to identify staff members who will be transferred to another school
- Revised budget proposal allows us to keep all certificated and non-certificated employees who were hired before August 29, 2005
- In most cases replacements for employees who did not return after schools reopened or those who would leave at mid-term would not be rehired
- In some instances it may be necessary to hire personnel
- The collective bargaining contract will be followed in dealing with transfers
The Proposal…SAVING SALARIES AND BENEFITS
- Maintains current levels of salary (NO REDUCTION IN SALARY OR BENEFITS)
- Recommends a salary increase for certificated employees beginning in January 2006 from the growth level and levels 1 and 2 of the MFP (as mandated by legislative requirements)
- Estimated amount of the raise will be $530 for certificated employees
- January pay check will begin to reflect the monthly increase
- A retroactive check will be issued to eligible employees at the end of January
Other Recommendations in the Plan
- Plan for Student Success, extra curricular, special athletic, and band funds would remain in place at full funding under the proposed plan
- Elimination of 141 positions through attrition
- Reduction of $4 million in construction projects
- Cutbacks in administrative expenses
- Across the board reductions in expenditures
- School instructional budgets and technology funds would be cut in half for the time being
- Emergency federal appropriations that are likely to occur would more than offset any reductions. If that is not the case, the Superintendent will consider these areas as priorities for additional funding should revenues come in over estimates.
A special thanks to all members of the education family for your continued hard work and dedication. It is because of you that our school system is recognized for its greatness nationwide. A special salute to Superintendent Gayle Sloan, administrative staff, and St. Tammany Parish School Board members for working with the Federation to SAVE JOBS AND PRESERVE BENEFITS during this post-Katrina recovery efforts.
NOTICE: Family Dental enrollment is December 1, 2005 – January 31, 2006. Sign-up cards will be delivered to your Building Reps.
