Wednesday, February 29, 2012
By Angelique McNaughton
Board members discussed policy and procedures for hiring administrators and teachers for the coming school year following resignation and retirement announcements from several teachers and four administrators, including Superintendent Rick Werling.
Trustees said their primary concern in considering hiring options was the monetary aspect of the process because of the already strained budget.
“We’re just trying to be fiscally responsible in terms of filling positions,” school board President Janet Braun said.
Ultimately, board members approved the administrators’ recommendation for filling all vacant positions in the three schools and hiring a new at-risk/Title I teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary School.
In deciding to hire and fill positions, board member Justin Meeks said it all came down to the fact that “we can’t get rid of any teachers or programs.”
He was referring to the elimination of some high school programs in 2010.
“We made the right decision (on Friday). It’s definitely what the administrators want us to do and it’s the right thing,” Meeks said. “We need the teachers that we have because we have cut back so much in the last three years. It would have been detrimental if we hadn’t filled the staff and we don’t want to make classrooms sizes any bigger.”
With the district facing diminishing state funds the past three years, board members were pleased that the options approved will result in no extra cost to USD 234.
The state funds salaries for at-risk/Title I teachers; it does not come out of the general fund.
“Whatever we’re doing,” board member Belynda Davenport said, “it’s not costing a dime.”
In considering hiring options and remaining “fiscally responsible,” board members also took into account the three-year freeze on teacher salaries.
Members even considered eliminating a position or two in the district to possibly open up more options for movement within the USD 234 salary schedule. However, it was decided that any money saved from that would not have been enough for salary increases.
“We’re trying to make it work with what we have,” Braun said. “Because of funding, we have tried to do what we can for the teachers we have.”
To help offset the lack of salary increases, teachers have seen a 4.41 percent increase in benefits throughout the last four years. Negotiating teams representing USD 234 teachers and the district will be presenting their salary concerns to the board sometime in the spring or early summer.
Tonight and on March 15, two more special meetings of the school board will be held to discuss the hiring process for Werling, who announced his resignation at the Feb. 13 board meeting.
Doug Moeckel, associate executive director of leadership for the Kansas Association of School Boards, will introduce focus groups and ultimately assist the panel in searching for a new superintendent.
Also on Friday, members approved the resignation of both Jodi Taylor, a high school cook, and Gabrielle Studer, a high school English teacher, and a retirement request from Sally Cullor, a middle school reading teacher.
As of Tuesday afternoon, all open positions in the district had been posted on the district’s website with corresponding application and contact information.
Angelique McNaughton 