Board Member Paulette Woods wants less fiscal maneuvering

Paulette Woods

District administrators squeezed spending to cut a planned deficit down to $19 million and then filled that hole from reserves. A possible deficit nearly twice that was cut by spending cuts in central administration, in the buildings and even some layoffs.

Some board members wanted more staff in the buildings, for enrichment issues like art and music, but mostly they lost out in school-based budgeting to core academic subjects to help meet state standards. Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash reminded the board of a core rule.

"For the 33,000 children that we have to serve, we have a fraction of the money that comes in for foundation aid, because that's what goes directly to the kids, what you're talking about, for services," Cash said. "There are no increases that are coming from anywhere else. So I have to, we have to manage through that and everybody has to pull in a little bit. And at the end of the day, that's what you gotta do. You have to produce a balanced budget."

Board Member Paulette Woods wants less fiscal maneuvering by the administration.

"Do a hiring freeze and keep the staff that these people need, so that our schools don't have these hard decisions impacting service," Woods said. "The priority should be the teachers serving our students. So you have eliminations, people going out the door, while you're talking about bringing in more."

The layoffs called for in the agreed-upon budget mostly get rid of unfilled positions.