Back to TESD’s 2010-11 Budget, Where Are We With the Discussion?

Over the last week, I have been focused on the recent Board of Supervisors decision.  I know that some of you were urging me to get back to the school district budget discussion.  So for the moment, I’m leaving the unfinished township business and re-focusing front page discussion on our school district.  Ray Clarke sent me an interesting note, to look at this week’s agenda of the Public Information committee meeting of TESD.  Wasn’t I surprised to read that the sixth item on tomorrow’s committee meeting agenda was ‘The Districts Role in Community Blogs’.  I have to assume that this is referring to my Community Matters.  I have never attended a Public Information committee meeting but guess where I will be tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM?  I have preached greater ‘transparency’ on the School Board website to at least 3 of the current school board members so perhaps tomorrow’s meeting may be the right place for that discussion.  Since I will represent myself tomorrow, any particular questions/issues that any of you would like mentioned at the meeting?  This could be great starting point for Community Matters to help ‘bridge the gap’ with missing information that taxpayers (and teachers?) might need.

Whether you agree or disagree with the school board’s decision, the district budget for 2010-11 has been capped at the Act 1 index of 2.9% increase.  Now I think we need to look at what does working within the Act 1 index mean for the district.  What does this mean for the teachers and administration?  We know also that it is highly unlikely that teacher contract will be re-opened for negotiations.  Where do we stand with the issue of resolving the district deficit?  I understand that the administration has come up with a list of proposed cuts . . . anyone know what those proposed cuts are or which programs may be included? And what is the dollar amount on the proposed cuts . . . how much will this lower the budget deficit?  And do we know how much of the budget deficit is proposed to come from the district’s capital reserves? Let’s start the conversation rolling . . . I want your thoughts.  I am especially interested in public information suggestions/ideas that I can take with me to the committee meeting tomorrow.