It's Not The Lack Of Money
As a member of the school board, it's always a little
awkward to write stories critical of the board. After all I can
express my views at board meetings. But some issues need a little more
discussion.
I have maintained for years that much of the school board's financial problems is not so much a lack of money but poor management of the money we have. For instance, a couple of months ago the board found out well after the fact that the administration had spent over twenty thousand dollars for development of an employee handbook. The payment for the handbook was placed on 10 different purchase orders to avoid the bid process. Then just a week ago or so, the board found out that the administration had spent somewhere around ten thousand dollars to have motivational speaker, Harry K. Wong, to come to Loudon County to speak to county school employees. Maybe a twenty thousand dollar handbook and a ten thousand dollar speaker are good things but is this really the time to be spending that kind of money under the circumstances? It's my opinion that the school board has over spent, over staffed and in some instances, over paid. The school board budget committee has been presented with a preliminary budget for the 2010-2011 that would require an additional 1.8 million dollars in new operating costs. Unfortunately, no budget cuts were presented to offset the increases. At some point it will have to finally dawn on these people that we just can not afford everything. Cuts are inevitable and some may be painful. Board members want a 'say' in teachers' professional development Mary E. Hinds News Herald At the last workshop, county school board members expressed to the board their desire to have a say in what professional development programs are being brought in for county school personnel and some took exception to the decision to pay "motivational speaker" Harry Wong $10,000 to present his program on classroom management. Those opposed asked if that amount of money should be spent when the budget is so tight.
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2/11/10