Coatesville schools consider budget stopgaps - Daily Local News 04/13/2011

Coatesville schools consider budget stopgaps
It's on list reviewed by school officials Tuesday

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

By SARA MOSQUEDA-FERNANDEZ, Staff Writer

CALN — Coatesville Area School District's Board unveiled a variety of possible changes in the face of the state's proposed budget.

At a finance meeting Tuesday night, school officials discussed a list of programs that could face restructuring, reduction or elimination should Gov. Tom Corbett's budget be passed by the state Legislature.

The list included an early retirement incentive program, class size increases, implementation of a four-day school week and the consolidation of some bus stops to coincide with changing school bell times.

Officials said the measures will all be reviewed by the school board during its April 26 meeting.

District Superintendent Richard Como maintained no decisions would be final until the state decides upon Corbett's budget.

"We will make (our budget) work and still be accountable for the high successes … and quality of education for our students," Como said.

The early retirement incentive program will be made available to any full-time employe at least 53 years old who qualifies for retirement under the conditions of the Public School Employees' Retirement System and has committed at least 10 years of service to the district.

If the school board approves, the retirees will receive a $15,000 payment in June and receive medical insurance until they reach Social Security's full retirement age. But the cost of the retiree's insurance to the district will not increase over this year's current rate, and the retiree must make up the difference between current and future costs.

Later this month, the board plans to review a proposal to increase class sizes for every school in the district for the 2011-12 school year. Kindergarten through second grade would increase by one student. The current class sizes are 20 to 24 students for kindergarten and 22 to 26 students for first through second grades.

Class sizes in third through 12th grades, currently 24 to 30 students, would all increase by three students.

Should this measure be adopted, a second-grade class at Reeceville Elementary School could be risking safety, according the school board.

As explained by Director of Research and Development and Pupil Services Anthony Romaniello, the move from a five-day to a four-day school week would save about $1.7 million in busing and utilities for the next school year.

To make up for the lost hours from those days, the school days would be longer by about an hour and 20 minutes at the elementary schools and 45 minutes at secondary schools, and the number of school days in a year would decrease from 180 to 154.

The extra time each day need not necessarily involve academics, perhaps instead incorporating time for student activities, clubs, athletics or tutoring from teachers. Como said parents who work later into the day might prefer a longer school day, making student pick-up times more manageable.

According to Teresa Powell, the district's director of elementary education, with this calendar, teachers would work 164 days, with their 10 required in-service days occurring prior to and after the student school year, and on the weekday when students are not in school. After Labor Day, the four-day week would incorporate time off for Thanksgiving, winter break, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, spring break and Memorial Day. The school calendar for charter schools would not change.

Como said no research or evidence indicates a four-day week has negative or positive affects on student performance and learning.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 20 states, including California, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Colorado and Georgia, have some school districts with schools operating on a four-day week. And Arkansas, Delaware, New Hampshire, Texas, Virginia and Washington all have laws allowing for such a school week, though no schools there currently schedule this way.

Coatesville Area school officials also propose that by changing the times when schools open and close for classes paired with consolidating some bus stops, the district can save $380,000. The consolidation of bus stops would be for middle and high school and would save the district from using eight buses. The bell times would change by 15 minutes.

If Corbett's budget is approved, the district faces an a budget gap of about $6 million even after some cuts have been made.

"We're thinking outside of the box," said Como. "We are in this as a team."

To contact staff writer Sara Mosqueda-Fernandez, send an e-mail to smfernandez@dailylocal.com.

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