Are We Looking For

A Lose-Lose Situation?

To the Editor:

The lack of research in the article titled “Finance Board Examines School Board Budget” in the Bee’s July 17 paper has gone beyond the pale. We owe a debt of gratitude to the teachers, secretaries, nurses, custodians, and especially to Dr Robinson, for forgoing their scheduled pay increases. We face a 100-year financial crisis which touches everyone. But only because these individuals were willing to forgo their scheduled pay increases or accept furlough days was the school system able to avoid even more draconian cuts. To denigrate Dr Robinson for her leadership during this crisis is ridiculous.

Our school superintendent had a difficult choice; she could lay off 50 to 80 teachers and drive the student-teacher ratio into the high twenties to low thirties, or she could ask for a pay freeze or furlough days from the unions and her staff. She and her staff accepted furlough days and consequently will be earning less this year than last year. The custodians were the first to offer and accept a pay freeze, followed by secretaries, and nurses. The teachers also accepted furlough days and one-third of the teachers will be earning even less this year than last. Let’s be clear: without the pay freeze/furlough days, an estimated 50 to 80 teachers would have been cut.

Mr Kortze knew that Dr Robinson was attempting to negotiate some sort of freeze in pay or furlough days because she stated her intent to do so at various meetings. Mr Kortze must have known, given his finance background, that this would free up a large amount of money in the school budget. Yet now he is surprised that Dr Robinson used the money which became available to save jobs. I can only infer by Mr Kortze’s comments that he believes that either the finance board needs to decide how school money is spent or that the money made available by the pay freeze and the money saved by laying off “50” teachers (his figure), should have been removed from the budget we voted on in April.

So Mr Kortze would like a lose-lose situation for students and teachers. The school staff loses because they don’t get their pay raises and the students lose because now the student-teacher ratio is in the high twenties to low thirties. Either way, this judgment leads us down the path of the absurd.

But the absurdity continues. There is a complaint that Dr Robinson was able to bid a $278,000 savings in electricity. Given that the school budget is about $65 million, this $278,000 savings represents less than one-half of one percent of the total budget. And why are complaining about saving money?

Six full-time teachers are gone along with all part-time teachers. School days were cut from 189 to 180. Textbook purchases have been canceled along with the late bus. She and the many of her staff, including teachers, will be earning less this year than last.

Charles Hepp

4 Winter Ridge Road, Sandy Hook                                 July 29, 2009