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twitterEDUCATION:
Administrators say no to ponying up for cuts
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 | 2 a.m.
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Beyond the Sun
Searching for ways to cut $120 million from the School District’s upcoming budgets, Superintendent Walt Rulffes went to the administrators union with two requests.
Each year, hundreds of administrators receive a “step” increase to their salaries. Would the union agree to spread next year’s increases over two years, a move that would save $3.2 million?
Rulffes also wondered whether they would be willing to take a day off without pay. If all 1,300 administrators did so, another $564,000 could be trimmed.
The union’s leadership rejected both requests at a meeting last week, said Stephen Augspurger, executive director of the Clark County Association of School Administrators.
Rulffes said he made similar requests to the teachers and support staff unions recently but has not received responses.
“We understand the dilemma the superintendent is facing,” Augspurger said Monday, “but we have contracts that were negotiated in good faith, and we would expect the district to honor that.”
One unavoidable aspect of Rulffes’ dilemma is that 86 percent of the district’s $2.1 billion operating budget is salaries and benefits. That makes cutting costs, without layoffs or steeply reducing services, particularly tricky.
Yet even during a massive budget crisis, employee contracts must be honored, according to Bill Hoffman, senior legal counsel for the district. Contracts can be reopened for revision only with the agreement of both parties.
Within the district’s control are cuts to programs and services. Some of the items being considered include sports, extracurricular activities and proficiency test tutoring. Rulffes has reduced central office budgets by 12 percent and individual campuses have been told to submit revised budgets trimmed by 3.5 percent.
Rulffes said he had hoped the administrators union would come forward with a proposal of its own “to help mitigate the horrible impact of the funding cuts, and perhaps they still will.”
Public employees, including the district’s teachers, administrators and support staff, were awarded a 2 percent cost-of-living pay increase in 2007 and another 4 percent this year.
The superintendent’s proposal to the administrators was arguably small potatoes, given the size of the budget shortfall, but it would have helped protect programs that benefit students, he said.
“There are mechanisms in place for dealing with budget shortfalls,” Augspurger said. “We do not believe it’s appropriate to go back to employees and ask them to accept any loss in pay.”
The focus, he said, should be on eliminating all “nonessential programs.”
Carole Vilardo, president of the conservative Nevada Taxpayers Association, said she wasn’t surprised the union refused to delay the raises. At the same time, it was a missed opportunity to gain public sympathy, which schools will need in the coming months, she said.
Even if it were just one “furlough” day, it would be a way of acknowledging “that everybody is facing tough economic times,” Vilardo said. “It’s extremely unfortunate that hard of a line has been taken by the union.”
The hard line could lead to layoffs in their ranks. Rulffes has already announced plans to cut 261 administrative positions. More are a strong possibility unless the district can find other ways to trim costs.
Although the superintendent made similar requests to teachers and support staff, Rulffes believed he had his best shot at persuading administrators to make voluntary concessions because they work year-round and could more easily give up a day’s pay.
John Jasonek, executive director of the Clark County Education Association, declined to discuss the request to the teachers union, saying it was a conversation more appropriate for the contract negotiations table.
Sources told the Sun the union can be expected to resist any attempt to reduce teacher pay.
In prior interviews, Jasonek has said it was premature to start assembling lists of what the district is willing to give up. Doing so only provides ammunition to lawmakers who will try and use the budget crisis as an excuse to shortchange schools during the upcoming legislative session, he said.
Yet Vilardo said she senses a different mood among public employees than in prior economic downturns, specifically 1969-70 and 1979-1983.
“Back then, people seemed to be willing to make personal concessions so that you wouldn’t have outright layoffs,” Vilardo said. “Everyone was willing to contribute what they could.”
Discussion: 19 comments so far…
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As a teacher I would be willing to take a day off without pay if it really helped my kids.
I work two jobs to support my family.
So much of the problem solving seems to be grandstanding from certain parts of the district.
There are many decisions the district can make before going to the public.
It is really sad that the district's way of dealing with the cuts is to set up a political situation which makes the teachers and admiistrators on the front line look like the bad guys.
How about if everyone in our community takes a day off without pay and donates it to the schools?
We already buy many of our students supplies out of our own pockets. Often teachers pay for clothing or shoes if a student needs them. We donate to our schools for special events for our kids. We have families to support, too.
Maybe the district needs to give up their new building, or cut back the staff in special areas, or merge programs that are redundant.
They had a review done by a consultant a few years back that made those recommendations. What happened to it?
Simple solution.
Since the union will not make any concessions, lay off union employees. There is plenty of room for cuts in the over staffed administration and maintenance departments. Cutting electives would also help.
This is a great opportunity to go back to the basics of education. Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Maybe, more time in the classrooms and less time with the entertainment will change our students test scores.
Rather disingenuous of Dr. Ruffles to ask a question that he already knows the answer to, knowing full well that public perception will be, OF COURSE, "why,those greedy pigs". It's a p.r. campaign at this point. Now, when he cuts staffing and programs, which is all that is left to cut, he can lay blame at the union's doorstep.
Sad days indeed.
Administrators have no incentive to make cuts so naturally every option they put on the table evolves slashing some service to avoid pay cuts and layoffs (aka having their employees work less) or raising taxes.
Administrators get 2 vacation days a month for a total 24 full-pay vacation days a year. If they accumulate 100 days, they can "sell back" to the district 20 days -- at full pay. Now there is a cash cow that can be easily used to defray any further budget cuts in this school district. Now if you think that teachers get this same "perk" you would be sadly mistaken. Teachers do NOT get paid for any vacations (that includes the two weeks at Christmas and the one for spring break)--- they get the time off for without pay.... Just like the students in Clark County. The same is true for holidays. Teachers get the time off, but are not paid for these holidays. But administrators can get this time off -- with pay by using their accumulated vacation days. If you ask Walt Rulffes for an answer on this one you would be surprised by his answer.
Start cutting staff of every group that doesn't want to help. As soon as this contract runs out cut all pay 10%, half the vacation days, and cut their retirements. Then it will be remembered in the future it's better to participate than just be turned out later.
At the same time the voter needs to demand open school vouchers and make schools compete for enrollment. Make them as responsible to their clients as any business in the state. End teacher unions domination of the education of our youth.
Certain staff sections should be cut, and certain sections (ie admin) should get pay cuts. The teachers themselves should keep whatever they have, because it isn't much.
Next, teachers' unions are not dominating the education of our youth. The teachers made unions to help themselves out. Yes they are there to help, but they should still be paid a living wage. As for voucher schools... That is one of the DUMBEST ideas. Throwing open the system to voucher schools would be sheer chaos. First, the good private schools are already packed. There's waiting lists and/or an extensive existing student body. Additionally, who gets the first whack at voucher schools? Who pays for the books in private schools that went voucher? Same for lunch and uniforms?
All I've ever heard is a bunch of libertarian/republicans spouting off about how great the system might be, but they never say HOW to accomplish that transition. I'm waiting...
And as for their God, the invisible hand of the marketplace, he's just a make believe giant in the sky wearing robes and sandals.
Administrators should have no problem giving up a day's pay. It is miniscule compared to their pay scale and time off each year. For those who accused Rulffes of setting the administrators up in this "PR" compaign against the Union...I don't understand.
The Union asked teachers to give up a day of sick leave and donate it into a sick leave pool for all staff at CCSD in case anyone has emergency and needs to use more than he/she can afford. A lot of staff donated. Were they set up by the Union? If one refuses to donate, so someone else ended up losing a job over too much time off, that person shall be smeared? This is nothing but a diversion of attention to our superintendent whose very focus is to not have to layoff people.
Administrators, yes or no, very simple, that you donate a day to save this district. No need to change subject and cry foul. I don't see how you can NOT help with a measly ONE day pay. It's purely greedy and evil of those CCSD administrators to NOT want to help by lifting a little finger. If anyone is setting up those administrators, it must have been those Union people!
The Union, after STEALING $15 per paycheck from us (amounts to millions a year), now is prohibiting the administrators from helping. What exactly would they like to see? The administrators not to lose a day of pay, yet teachers being laid off? Short sighted at the best, and evil is not an under statement.
>How is it that the 5th largest school district in the United States has only 1,300 administrators running its schools? (Perhaps a typo!)
>Single-digit raises are not "rewards" for salary increases.
>Any person who feels that teachers make too much money for the work that they do, I challenge them to exchange careers and paychecks with them for a month. "Teacher Swap" would make an outstanding, new, real-life, television documentary.
The school district is asking parents for donations for our children when at the same time, there are approx 48 school district employees from principals down to admin aids working at state prison facilities thru out Clark County. There are also approx 75 inmates workers being paid 25 to 75 dollars per month by CCSD. Educating inmates is a good idea in theory but not when education dollars are so tight. Cuts should start here, not with our children.
Just wanted to clarify the comment made by "zeddybear". Administrators CAN NOT get paid back for 20 vacation days. It is only 5 when they reach 90. You lose anything after 90. Administrators DO NOT get winter or spring break off, like teachers. Therefore, the vacation days earned at 2 per month come in handy in order to take much needed vacation!
The above article talks about delaying expansion of empowerment schools and overcrowding yet CCSD is currently installing portable classrooms at the prison for approx 271 student inmates. That could go a long way to help with some overcrowding at schools for kids more deserving.
I am amazed at how people think that the teachers should understand this is a tough time and be willing to take a cut in pay. I am wondering why the public didn't think that during the prosperous time perhaps teachers should be thought of...that is perhaps teachers were worthy of reaping some of the dollars that were being made in our community. During the time that our community flourished the teachers did not recieve ANY RAISES!!!! Hmmmm!!! How interesting! I am absolutely unwilling to give up a negotiated raise (if that is what it is called)and/or take any cut in pay. I certainly hope that other teachers take a stand, as well! We need to think about ourselves and our families. There is certainly no one in this community that is going to look out for the teachers!
Neiman: Are you a teacher hater or what? That is the most idiotic, bunch of garbage I have ever heard on these boards. You want to cut our pay 10% How about if I cut your pay 10% and then you can try and eekk out a meager living in this God-awful town. Many of us moved here for teaching jobs that and the wonderful possibility that we could actually afford to live here on a teachers salary and be happy. If you punish teachers by taking away their retirement you will lose all the good teachers here and then the children will suffer. It sounds like you just want to punish teachers like we are small children. I am thankful for the union to protect me from people like you in this business. You scare me.
I heard a story that at some schools in the valley it is common practice to teach the class in SPANISH and the english speaking kids are put to the side and taught separately as if they are in the wrong for speaking the language of the country which is paying for these kids educations... If true this is sickening and all administrators and teachers that bought into this should be immediately fired.
starrynite7 - Go easy on neiman. He suffers from a lack of formal education. Obviously!
"I heard a story that at some schools in the valley it is common practice to teach the class in SPANISH"
Hey, I heard a story that there are bigots living in Las Vegas who constantly make up lies to bolster their bigotry. Know any?
The teachers need to be left alone for the benefit of the students. Teacher pay vs. work is not the issue here. There is no real fat in that arena.
The real outrage is the Administrator's compensation and pension packages. The most overpaid, under-worked, and useless goons in the district have declared they won't take a single day off for the good of the students and teachers. Have you seen the Administrator's pension packages? The only choice they leave is to to cut personnel and I think we know exactly where we need to start now, with them. This needs to be raised a notch in the eyes of public awareness.