[6.9%] 7.46% increase for Timmy
Picture this: a school board sitting in executive session making very, very difficult decisions.
Where do we cut? We've already trimmed the fat; now we're cutting muscle. How do we pay for the remainder of the high school renovation? Do we wait for a green light from Pursuant Ketchum? Should we cut librarians? Guidance counselors? Custodians? Do we eliminate the community service coordinator? Should we charge students to park? What about increasing student parking fees? Oh, this is so hard! Shall we charge an activity fee? We need to make cuts as far away from the student as possible. How about a $30 million fundraising campaign? No...a $15 million campaign! Uh...$6 million fundraising campaign? Yes! That's it! But we still have to figure out how we are going to pay for the rest of the project. We can't have a referendum. Let's float a bond! We'll wrap it. Use capitalized interest. Don't use any money from the General Fund. It will only be $18 a month more. No, that's not right. We'll say that it is like no increase at all. No...We'll say it will be like two large pizzas. Wait a minute. There is a grievance that we need to address. If we ignore that, maybe it will go away. For sure, we won't budget for it. Uh oh, there is something else. PSERS. Darn that Corbett! It is all his fault. What to do, what to do? Let's come up with an early bird contract for our superintendent! Let's give him the same lame goals as he had in 2012-13 and 2013-14! Even better - let's give him a 6.9% 7.46% increase to kick off the 2014 contract. Perfect! But we have to do this quietly, because it will never fly if it gets out. Now what about the rifle range, the weight room, tennis courts, and Mellon Field? It should add up. We have TERC Investigations.
Here it is, Folks. Dr. Timothy J. Steinhauer's 2014-2019 Contract
We were told by Josephine Posti at Budget Time, that the school board has already trimmed the fat, now they're cutting into muscle. They cut back on guidance counselors, hacked away at the high school renovation plans, gave Timmy his sweet deal of an amended contract, handed out bonuses, and instead, decided to take almost a million dollars out of the General Fund to kick start the Century of Excellence Capital Campaign.
How does the former school board president have the audacity to come back to the school board and criticize? She got us into this mess.
Fortunately, the "Lebo Gives" and gives agenda item has been tabled to August.
It seems we need to cut back on Superintendent and Administrative salaries. We pay them too much already. Not to mention the huge pension problem looming in PA. Cut back salaries and spend the money on the kids and the curriculum. The sports people already have enough money. Plus we need to beef up the curriculum for the Special Ed kids. The school district needs to put their money where it’s mouth is. The kids come first!
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