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School district goes from deficit to surplus
KAUKAUNA -- As changes to collective bargaining powers for public workers take effect today, the Kaukauna Area School District is poised to swing from a projected $400,000 budget shortfall next year to a $1.5 million surplus due to health care and retirement savings.The Kaukauna School Board approved changes Monday to its employee handbook that require staff to cover 12.6 percent of their health insurance and to contribute 5.8 percent of their wages to the state's pension system, in accordance with the new collective bargaining law, commonly known as Act 10. "These impacts will allow the district to hire additional teachers (and) reduce projected class sizes," School Board President Todd Arnoldussen wrote in a statement Monday. "In addition, time will be available for staff to identify and support students needing individual assistance through individual and small group experiences." The district anticipates that elementary class size projections for next year will shrink from 26 students to 23 students. Class sizes for River View Middle School are expected to fall from 28 students to 26 students. Kaukauna High School classes could be reduced from 31 students to 25 students.... Read an article recently from Jonathan Kozol, describing the miserable results from Inner City schools, as compared with suburban schools. Kozol pointed out that the suburban schools spent 50% more money and made many more opportunities for students. I respect Mr. Kozol's scholarship; but I did not see any discussion of the financial waste in urban schools in his article. He discussed bureaucratic stupidity and racism, yes; but no discussion of stupidities caused by rules that cost taxpayers unnecessary money and cost children the resources needed for a good education, like New York's notorious "rubber rooms" for teachers who get full pay for doing nothing while being investigated for misconduct. Perhaps he tackled that issue in a different article. Posted by: mom 2011-06-30 |
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