School system makes temporary cuts

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard(McMinnville, Tenn.)

HALE

With no state funds currently available to operate the school system, the Warren County School Board met in special session Monday to approve a series of cost-saving measures that will remain effective until state legislators approve a budget.

The measures are effective system wide – and include the central office, which will be closed today and Friday, in addition to tomorrow for Independence Day. All central office employees will be off those days – without pay – but can opt to take vacation days if they wish to be paid.

The School Board also authorized delaying for one week the start of Bobby Ray Elementary, which under its 45-15 school calendar is scheduled to begin classes two weeks from today. Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale said the measure will be necessary should the state not have a budget by that time.

“We have no choice on Bobby Ray,” Hale said. “We can’t open a school without state funding. We wouldn’t be able to meet teacher payroll.”

Should a state budget be passed before Bobby Ray’s registration July 15, the school will begin its year as scheduled.

Another cost-saving measures approved by the School Board is closing by the end of next week the school system’s summer day care program if it does not break even. The program is held at West Elementary and currently has an enrollment of approximately 90 children.

Reducing the size and scope of the school system’s maintenance department was also approved. Dr. Hale told the board he will meet with maintenance director Donnie Caldwell to discuss the postponement of non-essential projects and possible layoffs within the 18-person department.

Other measures include: the cancellation of most technology department summer in-services, the cancellation of all July out-of-town trips to professional conferences and in-services which are not federally funded, and putting on hold all grants which require matching school system funds.

In their motion approving the cost-saving measures, the School Board also authorized Dr. Hale to implement any other measures he feels are necessary.

“We think this is tough, but this is the easy part,” School Board Chairman Mike Holland said. “If something else don’t happen (in Nashville) we’ll be talking laying off lots of people – tenured and non-tenured. We all need to put our thinking caps on and see if there’s something else we can do to reduce costs.”