The Valparaiso School Board, comprised of Superintendant Dr. Andy Melin, President A. James Sarkisian, Vice President Brigid McLinn, Secretary Mark T. Maassel (absent), Board Member James Jorgensen and Board Member Karl Cender, have developed a strategic plan to overcome the school system's $3.2M deficit.
The VCS Board Members presented their proposed plan to the city council members on February 27, 2012. Mayor Jon Costas opened the meeting by stating, “Valparaiso has a tradition of excellence in education in our schools, and we need to come together to solve this crisis.”
Costas continued, “Strong medicine is needed to deal with the fiscal problem of VCS and no one would choose these decisions during a normal course of business. But this is not a normal course of business. We need to work with the board members. We share the same goal of a strong and successful school system.”
Dr. Melin gave a brief summary for the budget crisis in Valparaiso Community Schools (VCS). He explained, “This has affected schools state wide.” One of the main reasons for such a large deficit is the reduction in funding from the state. This reduction took place each year since 2010:
In 2010 $1,639,575 or $5128 less per student
In 2011 $1,800,784 or $5088 less per student
In 2012 $1,376,876 or $4862 less per student
Total: $4,817,235
In 2010, faced with a decrease in state funding, the board implemented a reduction plan. The plan included early retirement incentives, attrition, and reviewing vacant positions from faculty that had retired or resigned. Despite the reduction plan saving approximately $1.6M in revenue, there was still a $3.5M deficit that needed to be recovered. Therefore, the plan had to be revisited.
There is a plan of action. Sarkisian stated at the council meeting, “This is just a plan, nothing is etched in stone. The board struggles with these decisions, especially when we are dealing with people and the loss of jobs.”
Charlie Foster, a teacher in VCA and a member of the Valparaiso Teachers Association (VTA), directed the council by stating that the teachers have and will continue to do what ever they can to help with this crisis. Already, the teachers have given back two days and are taking a compression on their salary, as well as taking six-class teaching assignments.
Foster said, “The laws have changed last year and we had to agree to a contract that is effective until 2015. But that doesn’t mean we are going to say, ‘ I am a teacher and I have a contract’. We are going to continue to work with the board and do everything we can do to save money. We want to do everything we can because we don’t want to lose those 21 teaching positions.”
A nurse with VCS addressed the council, “With the loss of aides, I am worried about the kids that are going to fall between the cracks; the students that don’t qualify for special education or are in need of that extra care. The aides have the opportunity to pull aside a student, to calm them down or to give them that special attention without disrupting the whole class. I feel that they are valuable in reducing the suspensions and expulsions that I think are going to occur.”
Every area of cuts was evaluated. “With careful consideration and determination the board came up with the numbers we felt were appropriate,” said Melin. He continued, “Instructional aids are very valuable to our school corporation and it was a difficult decision to make. We had to find a way to get to our bottom number and that was 104 (aides). We think that with that number of aides, we can continue to focus on student support and student achievement.”
Jorgensen brought out some of the ideas in the suggestion box that included revenue increasing ideas. One suggestion was that local businesses could sponsor the schools. Deb Butterfield (Member At Large) explained she read all the suggestions that have come across in the suggestion box and there was one that stood out. The suggestion was from a student who suggested turning down or off lights in the hallways. Butterfield said, “You need to keep considering the ideas that come across in the suggestion box.”
Jorgensen said, “The fact that we are looking at and considering all the ideas in the suggestion box, shows a willingness to think differently.”
The board wants to make clear that all the ideas are being considered and reviewed and will gladly keep looking at new ideas. Click here for more information on the VCS School Board.