Michelle Luckett, Superintendent Fred Sanderson's executive assistant, said Monday that the district will likely hear from the state legislature about its proposed budget within the next few days, which will help the district to make further decisions on its own budget, including the discussion of what cuts need to be made.
"It will firm up and tell us exactly how much money the county will be getting or not getting from the state," Luckett said of news from the state. "It will give us a real good idea of where we're going."
Board Chairwoman Lynnda Crowder-Eagle said she hopes to leave Wednesday's meeting with more of an idea of what positions the district plans to cut. At the last board budget workshop, she asked each board member to compile lists - cuts they would consider and cuts they think are off the table - to be discussed at this week's work session. Crowder-Eagle said that since the district is facing a May 15 deadline to renew employee contracts, the board needs to start moving forward with its recommendations.
"We don't want to make this rash decision that some of these other districts have done and then have to go back," Crowder-Eagle said. "We're moving ahead, but I think we're moving ahead at a sensible pace. I just know that there's a lot of natural anxiety among a lot of people that might lose their jobs."
Also Wednesday, Luckett said Sanderson plans to discuss the March revenue numbers during his budget report. Sanderson is also scheduled to give a transportation update during the board's meeting.
Luckett said she was unsure what this update would entail.
Crowder-Eagle, however, said she was fairly certain that the update will be regarding the March 5 grand jury findings of "serious issues/bad management practices" with the district's transportation department.
Meantime, on Wednesday's SPLOST agenda item list, the board will hear from the district regarding approval for various maintenance and renovation projects, including new HVAC systems at Mabry Middle and Murdock Elementary schools; maintenance and renovations at Green Acres Elementary, Floyd Middle, Cooper Middle, Chalker Elementary, Durham Middle and Frey Elementary schools; asphalt paving at Mount Bethel Elementary and Lost Mountain Middle schools; HVAC and fire suppression replacements at Norton Park Elementary School; HVAC replacement at Campbell High, Lost Mountain Middle and East Cobb Middle schools; additions at South Cobb High School; parking lot modification at Teasley Elementary and Powder Springs Elementary schools; and a contract for repaving at Mars Hill Bus Shop and Pitts (South Cobb) Transportation.
As for the non-SPLOST agenda items, the district will ask the board to extend a contract to Ombudsman Educational Services, an alternative education provider that educates middle and high school students who are on long-term suspension or expelled. Approval for last year's contract with the Libertyville Ill.-based company was briefly contested when then-Chairman Dr. John Abraham said he had a number of concerns about the alternative education program, and saw areas for improvement. The board eventually approved the $1.65 million contract for the 2009-10 school year and looks to do the same thing for this school year as well.
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"We don't want to make this rash decision that some of these other districts have done and then have to go back," Crowder-Eagle said.
Crowder-Eagle, when it comes to Oakwood High School, you will have to GO BACK to what it was originally. Why don't you check out Nashville. They did a 'rash decision' and ended up switching back. An ALL digital academy will not solve the problem. You know it, the board knows it, and Abraham is in Fred's pocket. I suppose he likes it when Fred pet's him; I don't know.
What I do know is that even the students of Oakwood High School said it. They said that NO WAY will this work. So, if the very students who more than likely would utilize such services say 'NO', then why go forward with it?
Who is getting the kick back anyway?
Don't worry, Oakwood is on you like white on rice. We's gonna find out real soon, ain't we Lynnda?...
The number of prison beds is directly tied to literacy levels.
You can either pay for good schools or pay for more prisons. It is that simple.
Georgia sends over 52% of its kids to school each day hungry and nearly illiterate.
You are going to pay for this one way or another.
In California "if the child isn't reading on 4th grade level when tested they will plan to budget building another jail cell. “Based on this year’s fourth-grade reading scores,” observes Paul Schwartz, a Coalition "Principal in Residence" at the U. S. Department of Education, said “California is already planning the number of new prison cells it will need in the next century.”
We ( the Bus Drivers ) of Cobb County are fearful of our jobs too. We heard on the NEWS, not from our boss, that the Transportation Department is thinking of privatizing the entire bus fleet. That means we ALL lose our jobs.
This might surprize most of Cobb County parents however. A dear friend of mine is retiring after over 30 years of driving for Cobb County. Want to guess at her retirement? A little over $400.00 per month !
What DEDICATION !
Please use proper grammar - ex: "their school" NOT "there school". Apparently you were not educated in Cobb County.
You need to read before you speak. Special Needs students are federally funded. Basically the county earns twice for these kids, especially if they access a general ed class. Do not put expelled students and special needs students in the same sentence!!!!
- School should be Monday thru Thursday
- No bussing for kids 1.5 miles from school
- Stop spending money on sports. Use that money for education. Make kids pay to play sports.
There ya go. I am fearful of losing my job.
-ATIC
Re: 49 %ers:
The money does not come from the same pot.
-Retirement pay comes from the Teachers Retirement System of GA----much of which the employee contributed themselves.
-Only the 49 percent comes from Cobb.
Using 49 percent employees IS a good deal for taxpayers. The county should use more of them---a very basic example:
Use 1 100% employee -$50,000 plus benefits OR
Use 2 49 % employees - $49,000(24,500 each) plus NO benefits.
Do the math.
(And I am not a 49 percent employee).
You get paid 49% PLUS your retirement salary. You are right you don't get teacher benefits you get retirement benefits.
all the Money comes out of the same pot.
And what about Sanderson - he also gets his retirement PLUS his 3 figure (don't know what it is up to now) PLUS he gets the super benefits PLUS retirement benefits
If you come back to work for the same school system from which you retired - then you are coming out of retirment and need to give up that money - until you retire for good.
No double dipping!!!!!!!!
And if you still think that your child will get a better education from a fresh face out of college than from a seasoned veteran, you really need to spend some time in a classroom. Most parents BEG principals not to put their children with "newbies." Logically, it just takes a few years to learn the ropes, learn curriculum, learn strategies, learn communication skills. These are not automatics. Education desperately needs a mentoring system to support new teachers, but who has time? With burgeoning paperwork and exploding class sizes, no one will take on any extra volunteer jobs. After all, morale is not exactly at a high point right now. We're all trying to hang tough through this crisis, but it seems the only pay cuts we're hearing about from around the state are directed at teachers. Why? I guess everyone has figured out that a truly dedicated teacher will do his job out of love for children. We always have, and we always will. But please, be fair.