EDITORIAL
The Lehman High cafeteria was filled, and the maintenance man kept bringing in more chairs.
The Hays CISD board of trustees meeting was being called to order. On the agenda? A preview of the upcoming budget, due to be adopted in the summer, calling for $7 million to be cut.
A substantial portion of Hays CISD budget comes from state funds, and with the Texas Legislature meeting only every other year, HCISD continues to wait for final word on their amount of state aid.
A budget, though, must be adopted, even with only partial information from the state. So the school board trustees and superintendent listened, as speakers pleaded that various jobs, programs, teachers not get laid off, cut, or eliminated.
In the end, Hays CISD Superintendent Jeremy Lyon thanked the speakers, especially those offering ways to trim the budget.
Lyon presented a few rather obvious changes – those that are easily overlooked. One is eliminating personal appliances – microwaves, mini-fridges, coffee pots – in offices. Simply unplugging these items across the district is expected to save $100,000.
Doesn’t seem like much, but that’s two jobs!
So, are there ways of dealing with the downturn in the economy that organizations can offer? What about private citizens?
What have private businesses done during this recession? Are these options that Hays CISD could use?
With budget workshops going on until the final vote in August, there’s time for Hays CISD residents to give school trustees their ideas.
An option adopted by several businesses a few years ago – a cut in pay to management personnel. Everyone in the management arena, department heads, top administrators, assistant administrators, took a 10 percent pay cut.
That simple reduction, if implemented by the school district, hurts a bit, but could save several in-classroom positions. Those who take the cut are at the highest pay grade. It helps a bit and shows that management is taking a hit, too.
What else can be done? Got realistic ideas? Give school board members a call, or send a note to the superintendent.
Any realistic help would be appreciated by school employees – and in the long run, by our children.
