GoBigEd

Posted 11:04 AM by Susan Darst Williams

DENVER CUTS 100 NON-TEACHING JOBS;
YOO HOO, OPS: THERE'S AN IDEA!

The Denver Public Schools just cut 100 nonclassroom jobs to save $7.5 million in central administration costs, the Rocky Mountain News has reported.

If the current controversy in the Omaha Public Schools were being handled by anybody OTHER than educrats, there's little doubt that nonteaching budget cuts like that would have been the first solution recommended, and a good one.

But nooooo: we're getting Lawsuit City, and the Mother of All Districts in the form of a new, collective "learning community" that'll cost us all even more money.

In Denver, next year's projected deficit is $10.5 million as the district deals with declining enrollment and rising fixed costs.

Some of the jobs cut in Denver were vacant, or part-time. Samples of how else nonteaching cuts were made:

-- 6.5 jobs in the curriculum and instruction department will be funded in 2006-07 by federal grant dollars.

-- 46 of the jobs cut were custodial positions, for a total savings of $1.44 million.

-- The assistant superintendent of budget and finance is leaving, and his position and his secretary's will not be filled.

-- The jobs of executive director of transportation, assistant superintendent of student services and district spokesperson were eliminated.

-- Copying is being outsourced.

Here's hoping the powers that be in Nebraska will see that budget cuts can be done without affecting classroom operations one bit.