Big Cuts Loom for Schools

As of Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Budget Presentation

For a power point presentation on the proposed budget, click here.

Closing Academy Heights Elementary and personnel reductions are among some of the drastic steps the Moore County school system might have to take next year.

The system is facing the most significant budget cuts in its history, Superintendent Susan Purser told the Board of Education and a packed room at the central office Monday as she outlined her budget recommendations for the 2011-2012 year.

Though she presented what she called a “best-case-scenario” budget, Purser painted a grim picture of how the system can address at least $8.2 million lost in state funding for the coming year.

Purser added that she believes the system will have to absorb even more funding cuts from the state, which is expecting a $2.4 billion shortfall in its own budget. The school system has lost $10 million in state funding over the past four years.

Purser said nothing was sacred when it came to making difficult but necessary cuts that would ensure the system’s commitment to students, while also maintaining fiscal responsibility.

“We have tried to bring a proposal to you tonight that exemplifies our commitment to our beliefs, but also our responsibility about being fiscally responsible and projecting appropriately for the board what is necessary,” Purser said.

The biggest shock to parents and teachers was the recommendation that Academy Heights, a K-5, year-round elementary school, be closed next year in efforts to consolidate the county’s year-round school program at Southern Pines Primary School and Southern Pines Elementary School.

Purser said that the system could save $500,000 a year by closing the K-5 school and sending its students to Southern Pines, where students will be split between the two schools.

Southern Pines Primary serves students in kindergarten through second grade. Southern Pines Elementary serves third grade through fifth grade.

Purser said that the schools would be able to accommodate the 250 students who currently attend Academy Heights.

She added that the Academy Heights facility already needed to be retired, emphasizing that updates to the school’s infrastructure would be too costly for the system and the potential for expansion at the school’s current site is not feasible.

The school, which is located in Taylortown, was built in 1934 to serve the local black community before school integration. It became Pinehurst Elementary School in 1969. Academy Heights opened as a year-round school in 1996.

Purser added that the idea could save money in the program, while maintaining the option of year-round school.

She also recommended the consolidation of the system’s bus routes mainly to save on transportation costs, which have become more volatile with rising fuel prices.

The consolidation would force more staggered school start times around the county, starting younger grades early and older grades later so that buses can drop off at elementary schools and then head back out to collect older students.

Purser was quick to say that buses would not be picking up students earlier, but she did say the new system could keep some students in school later and, in turn, bring them home later. She also said that consolidated routes would not be feasible in more rural areas, where the distance between schools is greater.

Personnel Cuts

The system also faces a loss of 90 positions, 25.5 of which were previously funded by federal stimulus dollars that expire at the end of the 2010-2011 year.

Positions were also eliminated due the revision of the system’s position allotment formulas, which determine how many positions are available at a school, and program cutbacks.

About 28.5 teaching positions could be lost through the revisions, including 4.5 career and technical teachers, 14 positions in grades four through 12 and 10 first-grade teachers.

Teaching positions were cut based on a one-student increase in class sizes.

Eleven teacher assistant positions could also be lost, along with four assistant principal positions, and four instructional support positions, such as media center specialists and guidance counselors.

Three positions at the system's central office will also be cut.

Purser emphasized that though positions will be cut, the system will try to make eliminations through attrition, rather than lay-offs.

Using attrition would mean that the system would not fill positions left vacant by staff members, who have either retired from the system or resigned.

Purser said she could not currently say how significant the rate of attrition could impact those lost positions, but she said that the system was able to make cutbacks in previous years without having to let as many people go with the practice.

Program cutbacks include reductions in middle school athletic programs, the elimination of the High School Graduation project and a reduction in shared costs with Sandhills Community College for the First Step program, which allows high school students to receive college credits, while taking high school courses.

Filling the Gap

Purser’s recommended cuts for the system only account for $5.2 million in the anticipated $8.2 million shortfall.

Purser asked the board to consider using between $3.2 million and $4 million from the system’s General Fund balance to fill in the remainder of the deficit, instead of asking for more money at the expense of taxpayers at the local level.

“I do believe we have dug in deeply,” she said. “We have gone across the county. We have looked at all programs, and we feel very strongly that we have reduced as far as we need to reduce at this time.”

The system is requesting $26,252,072 from the county this year — the same amount allocated to the system last year.

“Our county, our citizens, are also dealing with the impact of these economic times, and we will do as we have for the last two years,” she said.

As board members looked on with long faces, Purser reiterated the system’s commitment to students in the vision of the system’s “Growing to Greatness” model, despite so many cuts.

“We are still going to be doing new things,” she said. “Innovation has got to be at the heart of everything we do.”

She stressed that, as cuts run deep across the system, she and her staff will continue to listen to concerns from the public.

“We do want to hear everybody’s concerns,” she said. “We have listened throughout the process of development, and we will continue to listen. Our commitment is to the children.”

“You’ve given us a lot to consider,” Board Chair-woman Laura Lang said after the presentation.

‘Save Academy Heights’

Parents of Academy Heights students attended the meeting to hear Purser’s budget proposal.

Teachers at the school learned about the proposal Monday afternoon. Families of students were notified Monday night via a “Connect Ed” voice mail from Purser.

Several questioned the motivation behind closing one of the highest performing schools in the county and the state to send students to schools that have lower performance rates according to standardized tests.

On last year’s end-of-grade tests, Academy Heights had 98.4 percent of its students performing at or above grade level in its performance composite.

Southern Pines Elementary had 76.3 percent of students performing at or above grade level. Southern Pines Primary’s performance composite scores are not recorded because the N.C. ABCs program begins that evaluation at the third grade level.

All of the schools met their expected growth requirements for No Child Left Behind’s Adequate Yearly Progress last year.

Academy Heights parent Aaron Butler questioned why the board would approve nonacademic facility updates for other schools during the same meeting that Purser explained that facility updates to Academy Heights would be too costly.

“Why can’t we use some of this maintenance money to bring our school up to code?” he asked. “They made the comment that this money has been allocated for certain things. They chose where it’s going.”

Lisa Hagadorn, a parent of an Academy Heights student, has created a Facebook page called “Save Academy Heights,” which already has 143 followers.

Throughout the meeting, Purser stressed the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with parents and staff throughout the budget process. She plans to hold a meeting for families and staff of Academy Heights at 6 p.m. Thursday at West Pine Elementary School.

Next Monday, the school board will hold public hearings on the proposed budget at 6 p.m. at Carthage Elementary School. The meeting will start with a public hearing addressing general issues concerning the budget.

Additional hearings concerning specific items in the budget will follow the first public hearing.

The Board of Education is scheduled to approve the budget April 4.

Contact Hannah Sharpe at hannah@thepilot.com.

More like this story

None 2 years, 2 months ago

The new Wake County Schools superintendant Tata began making cuts at the top in his Central Office where Susan Purser should consider making cuts. Way too many political administrative positions. Too many PHD's with support staff when Mrs. Puser is paid the big bucks to deligate authority. Why does Pinecrest High School need 5 principles? They are too top heavy with over 500 thousand in salaries just for 5 positions when only one principle would suffice. If County can't perform his job, then it's time to advertise.

Raising test scores would show some good faith effort to taxpayers that our money is being spent on improving scores as opposed to the schools asking for more with the same results.

None 2 years, 2 months ago

Generally agree that the county office is top-heavy. Does our superintendent still make more than the governor of the state? Maybe salary cuts as well as position eliminations should be considered.

PHS needs assistant principles because of disciplinary issues on every grade level. Each of the four grade levels has more students than our former community schools had in the whole of their student body. Think about that.

However - if they would actually enforce the discipline code and suspend/expel students instead of trying to placate recalcitrant students and irresponsible parents, then perhaps the disciplinary crisis would quickly be resolved.

None 2 years, 2 months ago

There is more administration at Pinecrest than some municpalities. Doesn't taxpayers pay for school resource officers as well? If Joel County can't discipline students, then it's time for him to walk. For years, admin salaries have esculated during the good times and threats of law suits to get what they wanted in their inflated budgets. Why is it the classrooms and teachers bear the burden of cuts to budgets? Why start at the bottom as opposed to the top? I have said for years in Letters to the Editor that Moore County Schools are way too top heavy.

Scores increased last year...well isn't it about time? School Administration is the only positions where performance isn't based on results. Why can't we take a page from the new Wake County Superintendant Tony Tata, and start cutting at the Central Office where the big bucks reside?

http://www.wral.com/news/education/wake_county_schools/story/9274106/

None 2 years, 2 months ago

Toda. all I can say is that I STRONGLY recommend you go do some volunteer work over there and see for yourself what it's like. Those discipline issues are not all Joel County's problem/fault. Most of them predate him by ... more than 40 years. I agree that our schools are top heavy, beginning in Carthage - but then I'm a traditionalist and I think we need to DE-consolidate our schools and give them back to our communities. THOSE schools had strong and consistently-enforced disciplinary policies and academic standards that got trashed the year PHS opened.

None 2 years, 2 months ago

I remember when PHS and UPH opened for business. I know you really didn't imply that disipline problems have existed for 40 years and are a carry over to County. So what do the resource officers do with their time? Youth attend schools to aquire an education - period. Any behaviors that don't fall into the educational model is inappropriate and subject to displinary action or expulsion.

The schools have changed from when I attended Vass-Lakevview. Big John McCrummon carried a paddle in his hand with holes to ad to the psychological effect. Many of us dug stumps for hours on end where the ball field is now. The major offense was distilling moonshine in lab and that go us a week with the stumps.

If parents can't control their offsprings, then leave it up to law enforcement to put them somewhere they have no displine problems like behind bars at a youth center. I know ~ then there are more problems from that experience.

None 2 years, 2 months ago

Scores are available: Pincrest's ranking, FYI, improved markedly last year, as did other schools in the county. http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs/abcVol1List.jsp?pYear=2009-2010&pSchName=moore+county&Submit22=GO

None 2 years, 2 months ago

Sent you a message on an unrelated topic.

None 2 years, 2 months ago

Thank you ~ very interesting article. The Pilot might consider writing an article on the subject. I personally know of one female who was detained illegally by SCC campus police and their actions were libelous.

None 2 years, 2 months ago

I would like to know when Assistant Principals started making $100,000 a year!

The principal is paid based on the number of staff at a school. The Asst Principals are on a set pay scale which isn't much more than a teacher with a masters degree.

Arestorer 2 years, 2 months ago

But 5 does seem like alot..

school_teacher 2 years, 2 months ago

Do you have any idea what the responsibilities are for an AP? I admit that there are too many at some locations but you must realize: 1. AP's make about the same as a teacher with a masters degree, which isn't much. 2. Principals and staff are being spread too thin, the schools need someone to handle certain responsibilities. I encourage anyone who would like to know more about what an AP does, go to your local school and ask. Become informed before making judgements.

LauraLeigh 2 years, 2 months ago

In addition - if teachers are going to find themselves assigned large classrooms of thirty or more students, as looks like is going to happen with faculty reductions, then officials are going to have to drastically redesign the philosophical foundations of education in this community. Teachers cannot address every student's needs and learning styles, etc. - the modus operandi of the past couple of generations - when there are that many kids to work with in a given class. We'll have to admit that all these experiments in progressive education were a failure and return to the traditional classroom where students were expected to sit and cooperate without benefit of personal entertainments.

Otherwise, "education" is going to be even more of a misnomer - and more and more truly concerned parents will be pulling their kids out to homeschool them, or find the money to enroll them in private schools, so they can actually be educated.

GeorgiaMan 2 years, 2 months ago

The choices that will have to be made are going to be difficult, painful BUT should have been made two years ago. Did everyone believe that the Federal Stimilus money was going to last forever? Dr. Purser has had two years to plan, cut back and be ready for this moment. I think it may be time for a fresh new look at how our schools are run.

AND if we really want to do things right then call your Senators and Congressman and have them introduce a bill that would get rid of the Department of Education. This money swallowing, paper pushing multi Billion dollar enterprise has done NOTHING to educate our children better and it is time to take that money and turn it directly over to the States and let them decide how to spend it.

school_teacher 2 years, 2 months ago

I agree, in fact I have taught in 3 other states and the only state that was successful in allocating funds and NOT wasting money was the only state in which Counties were given the responsibilities of salaries and benefits. Each County could pay based on the tax rate in that particular county, in other words it wasn't a state run system. NC and many others like to control EVERYTHING from up on the hill, which leads to overspending and abuse. Just look at ABC stores for an example, no need to control that but they do, and they waste money doing so. The State should turn over control to the Counties, they would be far more fiscally responsible. But if that were to happen then the state would have to look in the mirror and be forced to make changes, without having education to take from.

LauraLeigh 2 years, 2 months ago

If we were on Facebook, I'd hit the LIKE button for your post.

marypoppins 2 years, 2 months ago

From MCS website, Central Office upper management includes: 1 Superintendent, 1 Deputy Superintendent, 2 Assistant Superintendents, 1 Associate Superintendent, 1 Executive Director, 3 Directors, 1 Executive Supervisor, 1 Advisor for Community Relations, 1 Chief Financial Officer, 1 Assistant CFO, 2 Administrators, and 8 Curriculum Specialists. A little top-heavy, maybe?

None 2 years, 2 months ago

Maybe? Mirrors Washington style government on a smaller level. What does those positions with benefits cost taxpayers? Left out Pickney....

Pumbaa 2 years, 2 months ago

Wow. The article didn't mention any position cuts in Central Office management. I wonder how much money could be saved if upper level took their share of the cuts with the schools?

Has anybody requested a copy of the salaries for all of these people? I think that it would make an interesting article for the Pilot.

Bflat 2 years, 2 months ago

The county commissioners should have been planning for this obvious shortfall. It is their responsibility to have a budget for that.

soccermom 2 years, 2 months ago

Please Check out the Save Academy Heights Facebook Page and help support AHES and the future of our children's education.

Be sure to 'Like' the page to help us build our base of supporters.

http://www.facebook.com/saveacademyheights

pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago

I understand that the parents like this school, but you need to be realistic. It is a very old school and it does not make sense to throw more money into it when these students can be served at other schools. Besides, it will do your kids good to have some diversity in their lives.

CNMT 2 years, 2 months ago

Maybe if they kept the physical structure of this school in decent shape all along we wouldn't be talking about all the fixing up it needs. It is no different than not maintaining your own home or car - in time you will pay the price. And I think that is where we are now. Two years ago we started building a new elementary school - West Pine Elementary School - if we knew then that Academy Heights was in bad shape and was too expensive to repair it, why didn't we plan for a larger campus at the new school to absorb these students? And if we continue to build schools and not maintain them, how long before the rest of our "older" schools will need to be closed??? From what I have read other places, none of the local elementary schools are in a position to take on these students - they are all bordering on overcrowded now. If we are going to stand any chance of competing with China and other Asian countries in the future, we need to educate our children now!

weteachers2 2 years, 2 months ago

Well said! pinehurstmom!!!

Bflat 2 years, 2 months ago

If your child were being uprooted from the school and put into another school in a crowded classroom, that might make a difference.

pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago

That happened to my child twice in a different district. He survived just fine!

stang 2 years, 2 months ago

What schools are suggesting? West Pine is at capacity and Pinehurst is near capacity! Are you willing to take our chilldren to Southern Pines who is also near capacity because we have been told the county will provide NO transportation out of district!

reformgov1 2 years, 2 months ago

pinehurstmum, this has nothing to do with diversity, so stuff it. What about all the pinehurstmums that were screaming when WP Elem opened and students were being moved from P Elem to WP. You cried so loud that the district lines were redrawn to allow Village Acres and Gun Club communities to stay at P Elem. Didn't hear anything about diversity then so why now. If you're not involved, keep your bigotted opinion to yourself.

CSmithson 2 years, 2 months ago

Someone did speak about diversity at the time but it was not people from Pinehurst. I spoke at that school board hearing and at others before then. My statement from least February when they were drawing new attendance districts is on my website:

http://www.chrissmithson.com/Library/Board%20of%20Education%202-11-10.pdf

reformgov1 2 years, 2 months ago

Outstanding letter and absolutly right!! I do recall this subject being brought to the Superintendent's attention and she wisely avoided a response. She and the board know it's true. Diversity is something 'some' Pinehurstians (not all) want to talk about...as long as it's happening somewhere else. Pinehurstmum is the perfect example.

pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago

I wasn't screaming then either and you need to learn the definition of bigot.

reformgov1 2 years, 2 months ago

Oh, struck a nerve there.....must of hit the nail right on the head. You're the one that brought "diversity" into something that you have nothing but an opinion invested in. Obviously you understand and feel the "difference". And why scream now, about something that doesn't concern you but be silent (if you were) when it did? That glass house is showing a few cracks.

pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago

How do you know how invested I am in this issue or how it affects me or my children? You are way off.

girlymonster 2 years, 2 months ago

Have you been to AHE? We have diversity....come to Taylortown and see us sometime PINEHURST mom

pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago

been there

moconative 2 years, 2 months ago

Dr. Purser, show some management guts and start cutting the fat in your office. marypoppins previous post showed the multiple levels of bureaucracy that exists in the MCS administration. Let's show the Moore County taxpayers that the administration can lead by example and do more with less. You will be more likely to get the trust of the people when hard cuts are taken in the schools if you take the initial step of taking a good look at how many positions in your office are really needed and eliminate those that are not. In these difficult times, we all realize that cuts must be made, and we expect that not to mean just the frontline workers!

ncsnafu1 2 years, 2 months ago

If Dr. Purser is truly sincere in her statement "Throughout the meeting, Purser stressed the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with parents and staff throughout the budget process." then she should have no problems in posting on the school web site the cost analysis that showed why Academy Heights was the best location to close as opposed to any of the other schools. In others words - show us the numbers!

Also, her statement “I do believe we have dug in deeply,” she said. “We have gone across the county. We have looked at all programs, and we feel very strongly that we have reduced as far as we need to reduce at this time” is obviously incorrect in that relies apparently on $3.2M to $4M from the system General Fund for balancing. She needed to present a balanced budget not one that relies on a General Fund bailout. It would appear that she considers the General Fund as her "Stimulus Fund 2".

CSmithson 2 years, 2 months ago

They've been cutting for several years. The per-pupil spending has been going down. How else do you think they've been able to open two whole new schools? Don't you also realize that there are more and more students every year?

Additionally, the BOC never gave any additional money to cover the debt service on the construction bonds. That came out of the budget too. Of course, they'll say, "we gave them the money they asked for," but the schools are told by the County ahead of time what to ask for.

The loss of federal funds has come as no surprise as they have been warning us about it at school budget time for a couple of years.

I have no idea if closing the school makes the most fiscal sense as I don't have the information Dr Purser does. What I do know is that we are building schools and adding hundreds of students on a flat or shrinking total budget. It is not sustainable if we want to maintain or improve the quality of our schools.

The cost of education is great but the cost of doing it poorly is even greater.

Regardless of whether or not the school gets shut down, there is still a budget crisis. The Board of Education will either roll over like they usually do or they will finally get some guts and really go to bat to get the necessary funding from the County. Should be interesting either way.

bigD 2 years, 2 months ago

Perhaps the towns (Southern Pines and Pinehurst) could pitch in a few bucks. Especially if their town councils think the schools in their districts are in such need.

CSmithson 2 years, 2 months ago

BigD(Derek) Thanks for bringing that up! Clearly, you are not from around here or you would know the history.

Back in the 1960's Pinehurst and Southern Pines had their own school districts where they taxed themselves extra on top of county and state funding to ensure better schools.

State Senator Voit Gilmore put a local bill through the legislature allowing for a school referendum in Moore County. If the referendum passed by a majority of all voters in the county, the city schools of Southern Pines and Pinehurst would be seized and incorporated into the "county" school system.

Well, the referendum passed when "county" voters voted in favor of taking our schools. Votes in Southern Pines and Pinehurst were substantially against the dissolution.

So, for the last 45+ years, the "county" school system has even moreso sucked revenues out of Southern Pines to subsidize schools elsewhere. Now that Pinehurst is as big as Southern Pines, they also share in being victims of the "huge sucking sound" of school dollars flowing to far flung regions of the county.

Back in the day, SP and PH fought to retain their ability to fund their schools as they saw fit. They even tried to band together to form a joint Southern Pines-Pinehurst school district. It was all for nothing as non-municipal voters whose to annex their schools.

I'd be happy to explore the creation of new school districts/systems where Southern Pines and/or Pinehurst have the ability to tax themselves extra and send it to their own schools if they want to. Until then, you may want to bone up on your history.

bigD 2 years, 2 months ago

Thanks for the history lesson. Very interesting. I am suggesting an additional voluntary contribution. The money can stay in your local schools.

I also think our local leaders need to work together to find solutions. This is not SP vs PH or PH vs MC. We are all in this together.

My children are far from school age but i will consider a run for school board in two years if it doesn't get figured out. Derek Pszenny

By the way back in the 60's you and I were not even born yet.

CSmithson 2 years, 2 months ago

Derek, I may not have been alive back then, but I have done my homework. I spent hours in the library reading old Pilots and have also interviewed a number of people who were around back then and part of the debate on consolidation.

Unless you do some kind of fundraising for something special like a playground, smart boards, etc. any "additional" fundraising for local schools just frees up money from the county budget to go elsewhere.

CNMT 2 years, 2 months ago

Isn't this the same school district who proposed "giving" laptop computers to all students to use from middle school thru graduation? Where was all that money coming from? A decent laptop costs $ 500 a piece. How many of them have we bought or are planning to buy????

pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago

Would you rather pay more taxes? Just where do you expect this money to come from? You can only cut so much. We can't put 50 kids in one classroom!

fugitiveguy 2 years, 2 months ago

What happened to all that lottery dough?

moconative 2 years, 2 months ago

...the MCS administration made a big Pizza loaded with administrative positions on it!

None 2 years, 2 months ago

fugitiveguy March 16, 2011 at 4:34 p.m.

"What happened to all that lottery dough?

The Grimlins in State Government got it....

Chris at what point are administrators taken to task for lower than average results? "The cost of education is great but the cost of doing it poorly is even greater".

MCSB indicates improvement for one year and Whalla ~ one would think they raised the Titanic. The difference between dollars spent over the years and performance is just bad money spent on good money. It's all about politics and the teachers get the blame for the short comings of the Administration.

None 2 years, 2 months ago

Toda,

Sent you an off topic message. Please check.

None 2 years, 2 months ago

Toda,

I've been on them about the results for years. The standard answer is basically that the scores don't matter. They sure as heck do matter. Just listen to a lot of the Academy Heights parents who point directly at their scores and the scores of the other schools they might have to go to if AHES is closed. Fair or not, people look at the test scores. The Board of Education has done essentially nothing to address the issue. In fact, pretty much everything they've done in the last 10 years has made the disparities WORSE.

I have always had the impression that the BOE feels it is safe as long as the parents in Pinehurst are happy. With that in mind, let's see what they do about all the angry Pinehurst parents with children at AHES.

LauraLeigh 2 years, 2 months ago

Out of the heavy influx of new students, how many are here as undocumented (a.k.a. illegal) aliens? What part do they play in the current economic crisis, as we provide services to people who don't contribute significantly to the system?

pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago

A bit elitist there, Laura?

pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago

She is suggesting that we are burdened by students whose "alien" parents who don't "contribute significantly to the system". What about the lazy, drug abusing, welfare-sucking American parents. Are they okay? How about just educating all of the kids who are here without worrying about how significant their parent's contributions are? They can't control where they come from.