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Highlands Today

Teachers Keep Close Eye On School Budget

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: December 16, 2008

SEBRING - As the school district grapples with budget cuts, teachers are concerned about more job cuts and the possibility of salary reductions, said Highlands County teachers union President Steve Picklesimer.

The district cut 33 school-level teaching positions and a total of 62 positions from its 2008-09 budget.

In November, Superintendent Wally Cox provided the school board with a list of cost-saving measures other districts have implemented, including a 2-percent cut in teacher pay. Such a cut would save the district $1.29 million.

Picklesimer said that "in a time like this, everyone has to share the pain. We've got to look at a lot of different ways to be able to rearrange those dollars that we are getting in our budget."

First and foremost for teachers is keeping up with the cost of living in a tight economic time, he said. That's going to be a challenge, but it shouldn't be impossible.

In August, Shelly Word prepared her first-grade classroom for the start of the school year at Woodlawn Elementary, but a drop in enrollment meant one of the first-grade teachers would not be needed.

Word stepped out of the classroom to fill the opening for the technology resource teacher working at Woodlawn and Fred Wild Elementary schools.

"Everybody realizes that the budget is going to be tighter this year and I think we look at each other whenever we want something," for the classroom, Word said.

Teachers don't seem to be concerned about positions being cut in the middle of the school year, she said. As the year progresses, that may change.

"Nobody wants to see anybody lose their job, that's for sure," she said.

Hill-Gustat Middle School teacher Dawn Schommer said a major concern for teachers at her school is the possibility of cutting the number of class periods.

There has been talk about cutting back periods, which would affect the fine arts - chorus, art and band, she said.

Fine arts are an integral part of a student's education and for some students it's the one place where they can shine and be successful, Schommer said.

Teachers are wondering what is going to be cut and if class sizes will increase, she said.

"Nobody likes to take a pay cut, but I think everybody is cognizant of the times we are living in," she added.

Picklesimer said the possibility of budget cuts affecting teacher pay is definitely a "buzz" right now.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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