Gwinnett County Public Schools will eliminate 54 vacant central-office positions and release some other employees as it copes with an $89 million revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2013.
“Not a single option we are considering to balance next year’s budget is a ‘good’ one," said GCPS Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks in a released statement. "That said, in these difficult budget times, we are committed to presenting a balanced budget, doing everything possible to protect instructional time, valuing our employees, and implementing cost-saving measures wherever feasible.”
GCPS attributes the shortfall to a variety of factors including:
- a $36 million decline in local tax revenue. In 2012, is expected to drop another 7.5 percent in value. The tax digest has shrunk 24 percent since 2008 resulting in $133 million in lost revenue for GCPS.
- the loss of $31 million in federal stimulus funds that were used to balance previous budgets.
- an $11 million increase in health insurance premiums for school system employees.
- the need to hire more teachers due to growth in enrollment, costing an estimated $4 million.
- an estimated $7 million mandatory increase in the school system's contributions to the Teachers Retirement System.
To address the shortfall, GCPS plans include:
- reducing central office departmental budgets by another 2.5 percent for $1.6 million in savings.
- eliminating 54 central office positions to save $2.7 million.
- ending payments to one external charter school for a savings of $2 million.
- increasing most class sizes by two students.
- continuing two furlough days for all employees except bus drivers and school nutrition staff.
- releasing all employees hired after the beginning of the school year and retired part-time employees.
- leaving vacant any district-level positions when possible.
The school system does not plan to reduce employees' salaries and will not reduce the number of instructional days or instructional time as they work to address the current budget shortfall.
See the attached pdf for additional details.
a $36 million decline in local tax revenue. In 2012, Gwinnett County's tax digest is expected to drop another 7.5 percent in value. The tax digest has shrunk 24 percent since 2008 resulting in $133 million in lost revenue for GCPS. the loss of $31 million in federal stimulus funds that were used to balance previous budgets. an $11 million increase in health insurance premiums for school system employees. the need to hire more teachers due to growth in enrollment, costing an estimated $4 million. an estimated $7 million mandatory increase in the school system's contributions to the Teachers Retirement System. To address the shortfall, GCPS plans include: reducing central office departmental budgets by another 2.5 percent for $1.6 million in savings. eliminating 54 central office positions to save $2.7 million. ending payments to one external charter school for a savings of $2 million. increasing most class sizes by two students. continuing two furlough days for all employees except bus drivers and school nutrition staff. releasing all employees hired after the beginning of the school year and retired part-time employees. leaving vacant any district-level positions when possible.
I'm sorry Tammy but you're wrong about the Stimulus. Read the article again. The GCPS attributes their shortfall in part to "the loss of $31 million in federal stimulus funds that were used to balance previous budgets." Plain as day.
The FACT is, the Stimulus saved teachers jobs in many Georgia counties including Gwinnett. It is actually quite hilarious how deep in denial conservatives are over the fact that the Stimulus saved or created millions of jobs. You can thank your Republican Congressmen and women for the lack of additional stimulus and the loss of teacher's jobs all over the nation. And yes, this is most definitely a partisan issue. The jobs bill President Obama proposed last year included additional funding for teachers salaries and was soundly rejected by Republicans because it would have been paid for with a miniscule tax increase on millionaires.
And I'll repeat what you've already forgotten... 31 million out of a budget of 1 billion. I guess you can do the math but just in case, that's about 3% and that's hardly enough to even notice in the grand scheme of things.
It sounds pretty stupid to start a program that you can't continue to fund... I guess those people lost their jobs. Please find me one employee ( out of 24,000) that benefited from this stimulus.
Not only did it not create any new jobs OR go toward raises, no one lost their job when it went away. So tell me, what good was that?
And unlike the "big brother" federal government, we have to balance our budget.
The ARRA funds were distributed to the schools for the most part. We were not allowed to use those funds for salaries. The funds at our school were used to buy/fund equipment, an after school program, and other associated cost. If any of the money was used for salaries it was done so at a district level and it wouldn't have been much. This comes from my principal and she may know more than you about it.
I know some of the money helped to pay for our Virtual Field Trip equipment, and some funded an after school program. I can find out what else it was spent on at our school but I can assure you, it did not fund any positions. The Feds like to dangle the carrots and they always come with strings attached.