Halifax County School Board looks at staff cuts and other sacrifices

Halifax County Schools Superintendent Geraldine Middleton didn’t mix words when she addressed a gathering of about 150 staff members at Davie Middle School last week.  “We will have less money next year than we had this year,” Middleton said. “We must balance our budget and we must adhere to the state’s personnel funding formulas.”

Middleton told employees that budget concerns would result in the necessary elimination of about 67 positions across all employment areas, including Central Office administrators, teachers, instructional support staff and non-instructional support staff.  She added that with the number of students declining in the county, there would be a corresponding decrease in funding from the state, which will mean some jobs must be cut.

The job cuts would represent about nine percent of the schools 770 employees.  The initial plan calls for a decrease of seventeen teacher positions and four teacher assistant positions.  Middleton said the district hopes that retirements and resignations will offset most of the job cuts. “That is our expectation,” she said, “but we will have to see.”

She pointed out that over the past five years the district’s student enrollment has decreased by over 1,000 students. Since state, federal and local funding plans are based on large part upon a school system’s ADM (Average Daily Membership – the number of students enrolled), the decreased enrollment should have seen a corresponding decrease in staff and in other areas, but it did not.

Halifax County Schools Finance Officer Andrew Callahan explained to the school employees that the district has been losing about 200 students per year since 2000, which means that state planning allotments have decreased since they are based upon the number of students in the district.

He said these cuts, the money the districts owes to the state, increasing fuel and energy costs, and the lack of local funding increases from the county over the years are all contributing to make the 2008-09 budget year “very challenging.”

When asked how long they anticipate the decrease to continue School Public Relations Coordinator Keith Hoggard replied, “It should continue over the next several years according to the state.”  The probable decline is based on the decrease in the rural population in the county. 

One way the decline in students might be reversed is if the Carolina Crossroads development would live up to its 2005 projections of adding 12,500 jobs to the area.  Most of the jobs would be filled by younger workers with families.

Superintendent Geraldine Middleton has been working with the Board of Education, Callahan, and other staff members to come up with new plans to compensate for a continuing decline in enrollment, rising costs, reduced funding from the county, and budget deficits in prior years.

“None of our options are good,” said Middleton. 

“Essentially,” she emphasized, “we have no choice except to make deep cuts in our workforce and in other areas to acquire the funds necessary to balance our books and return to solvency.”

Following Callahan’s presentation, School Board member A. Faye Pierce-Young reminded the assembled employees that taking children out of HCS for private or charter schools costs about $8,000 per child. She said that taking children out of HCS not only hurts the district, but also jeopardizes jobs.

Callahan did a quick calculation to illustrate her point. The district currently has 353 children going to charter schools, which means the district loses over $2.8 million dollars of state, federal and local monies.

“How many jobs could we support with that $2.8 million?” Young asked. “How many computers could we purchase? How much paper could we buy? How many books?

“We can offer children the best educational services in the area,” she concluded, “but we must have parental and community support to be able to do even better.”

The audience then had the opportunity to ask questions and Callahan said that if other questions arose to email them to questions@halifax.k12.nc.us and they would be answered, either individually or at future meetings with employees.

Middleton vowed to work with the employees affected by the cuts to help them find new employment opportunities or training for new careers.

“These employees have worked hard for us over the years,” said Middleton, “and we are going to work hard to make sure they land on their feet.”

She also wants parents to know that education and services for children remains the district’s top priority.

“Our students will get a top notch education,” Middleton said. “Our schools will remain safe, orderly, clean and healthy environments where children can learn and grow.”

Board of Education Chairman Tyrone Williams also emphasized that the essential mission of Halifax County Schools is unchanged.

“This is unlike some corporate downsizing where jobs are cut so a few can make large profits,” Williams said. “We must make these cuts and these sacrifices; it is mandated by state law and it is mandated by our responsibilities to the taxpayers of Halifax County to balance our budget and operate in a prudent and efficient manner.”

“We are taking the steps necessary to balance our financial books,” said Williams. “The steps we are taking have come only after every option has been fully investigated and at a tremendous loss to our district—our employees.

Asked when employees would know, Middleton said the Board of Education will meet April 30 and again on May 5 to scrutinize options and make decisions. In addition, the district will also meet with the county commissioners on May 5.

“Our ultimate goal is to give 45 to 60 days notice,” said Middleton. “We will work hard to get as many answers as possible by the end of the May 5 meeting.”

Teachers and teacher’s assistants will finish out this school year, according to Hoggard.

Middleton said another web address would be established for suggestions, but employees with good ideas could send them to the aforementioned web address in the meantime. She also said that employees could speak with their fellow staff members and their school principal to more efficiently operate schools.

Another employee asked what criteria would be used for cutting teachers.

Middleton said the first thing to look at is whether the teacher is classified as “high qualified” and then performance and evaluations would be looked at, but she added that she hopes resignations and retirements would make the decisions less painful.

“None of our options are good,” she emphasized. “We have no choice except to make these cuts in our workforce and in other areas to acquire the funds necessary to balance our books and return to solvency.”

“We deeply regret these cuts,” she concluded, “but we have no choice. That’s the bottom line; we have no other choice.”