Recordpub.com - Brobeck: Personnel cuts likely: Academy loss adds to Field crunch

By Matt Fredmonsky
Record-Courier staff writer
The proposed Field Academy of Creative Arts would have helped the district avoid a projected $615,000 deficit, Field Superintendent David Brobeck said Thursday.
Now, one of his recommendations to close that gap could be to reduce personnel.
The Field board voted 3-2 Monday to halt plans for the arts academy.
Last fall, district administrators submitted a fiscal recovery plan to education officials in Columbus outlining how the district planned to save close to $800,000 in expenses in order to avoid the projected deficit.
Brobeck said he planned to use the proposed Falcon Academy of Creative Arts to balance the budget by taking those staff members teaching at the academy off the district’s books.
“Essentially, by moving our staff over there, that allows the Field Local Schools to reduce those salaries from its expense rolls,” he said.
The recovery plan showed moving nine faculty and five classified staff members to the academy as part of a projected $750,000 savings for the district.
One catch, however, is the recovery plan involving the academy is contingent upon a full enrollment of 150, which would potentially bring $857,700 in state open enrollment funds to the academy. Currently, 69 students have enrolled.
Brobeck said the district will still have to save the same amount in order to avoid state action.
“So the recovery plan is based on a concept that if we run the Falcon Academy, we can have money there for that and have additional open enrollment students in the district ... and ultimately we could balance our books next year using the Falcon Academy,” he said. “It would probably be my recommendation that we would have to reduce personnel to get to that number. If we’re not able to come up with a plan to be in the black next year, then the state could put us in fiscal watch, caution or emergency.”
But Field Local Schools Board of Education member Allyson Westover said there are other means for the district to close the budget gap without firing staff members.
Westover said the district is in the process of switching health insurance providers — a move she said the district’s business advisory council members project could save $400,000 annually.
And “enormous” legal fees associated with teacher contract negotiations and grievance filings should drop following February’s contract agreement, she said.
“So our legal fees should be cut in half, which is a three-figure savings, probably,” Westover said. “Also, if Central building is not used for the Falcon Academy, there might be some other possible uses we could implement there to bring in some money to the district.
“I don’t want to speak until anything is confirmed,” she said. “There are other avenues. We have an empty building sitting there which I’m sure we can do something with to create an income.”

33.	Posted by coop March 14, 2010
	ice, don't get carried away, people going to think your nuts like me. Besides that was my evil twin. But its far from a joke. You see the teachers and administrators all have big buck organizations to represent them, and they all hide behind the kids. Sad part is the kids take the first shot. I work for the Field taxpayer and I guarantee the FLTA union will come at Field taxpayers for a new TAX levy. Interesting the teachers wear orange t shirts. Might as well wear jail orange since the FLTA teachers union has stacked the deck with the new Field Board and the inmates are now running the prison. When the time is right, I might have a few of those dusty old ghost buster signs laying around . :):):):):)

32.	Posted by coop March 14, 2010
	ice, don't get carried away, people going to think your nuts like me. Besides that was my evil twin. But its far from a joke. You see the teachers and administrators all have big buck organizations to represent them, and they all hide behind the kids. Sad part is the kids take the first shot. I work for the Field taxpayer and I guarantee the FLTA union will come at Field taxpayers for a new TAX levy. Interesting the teachers wear orange t shirts. Might as well wear jail orange since the FLTA teachers union has stacked the deck with the new Field Board and the inmates are now running the prison. When the time is right, I might have a few of those dusty old ghost buster signs laying around . :):):):):)

31.	Posted by icebreakers March 14, 2010
	Coop I never thought that I would agree with you! I hated seeing your vote NO signs up when we were trying to get a levy passed. The Orange shirts were not only ugly but inappropriate to wear in classrooms. These teachers DO need accountability! The FLTA is a JOKE! Our school board (thanks to not only the Academy fiasco but also the many mistakes that have been made) has become a JOKE! I fully support the Academy and I know that if the vote is reversed tomorrow my child will attend and I will work with the staff and administrators at the Academy to help make it a success. Why shouldn't we embrace something that has the potential to be a huge success and bring money into our district? From what I have gathered from all of the meetings I have attended this Academy is NOT costing our district a penny. Other than the $187 in legal fees which were charged before the initial grant was received (Mrs. Westover continually brings this $187 up). These ladies need to get over themselves and do their jobs lose the personal agendas and the public hostility towards Dr. Brobeck. Those of us who come to meetings and pay the taxes that pay your salaries are beginning to lose patience.

28.	Posted by coop March 13, 2010
	Hey cooler, I guess what we got here is a failure to communicate. My below question to Pat was simply " does the FLTA support the Field academy and would she show up to the Monday meeting in support. (but please leave the silly orange Halloween t shirts behind) While Pat may be doing a bang up job for the union membership, I give her a big fat "F" for Field taxpayers. (Let your mind wander what the "F" stands for.) The stupidity was shown by the FLTA for not signing off on "the Race to the top" free money. By the way, managements hands are tied when it comes to weeding out bad teachers. But (ha ha) you already know that.

26.	Posted by coop March 13, 2010
	And sanctimonious Shirley Mars was asleep at the switch also. She voted on the monthly Tom Baker budget. Got one better. Pat Bey (Flta pres.) does the Field Local Teachers Union support the Field academy? Seems to me this Creative arts initiative protects teachers jobs. Pat, if you are truly for your Union membership, please go to the Monday meeting, supporting the Field Academy. And if you are not supportive , looks like you kicked 15 teachers to the curb. Of course Pat, you were against "the Race to the top" free money that had teacher accountability so I will be interested in your response.