$26.8M to be cut from IPS budget

[IndianaGreen]

$26.8M to be cut from IPS budget

Board rejects proposals for most trims from board, administration

By Andy Gammill

Posted: April 28, 2010

Public School Board on Tuesday approved $26.8 million in sweeping budget cuts but rebuffed several requests to cut back on board and administrative expenses.

Superintendent Eugene White's budget cuts include eliminating more than 100 teaching positions through attrition. They also eliminate the jobs of 20 school police officers, 20 janitors and numerous other support staff, some of whom may be involuntarily laid off.

The approved plan does make millions of dollars in administrative cuts, including leaving clerical positions unfilled, reducing the number of high school administrators and eliminating several senior administrative posts.

But board members Kelly Bentley and Michael Cohen led a push to trim the board's budget and White's personal budget, saying district leaders needed to share more of the pain.

"It seems to me really inappropriate for us to be cutting back on so many critical programs . . . and for us not to do the same," Cohen said.

Other board members voted down most of the proposals that Bentley and Cohen brought to the floor. A proposal to save $1,000 to $2,000 per year by eliminating catered meals for many School Board executive sessions passed 4-3.

Requests to cut board travel and pay, superintendent travel, district membership in associations and the purchase of tables at charity events did not pass.

Board member Marianna Zaphiriou said she would be willing to look at most of those potential cuts but said the time is not right with two new members coming onto the board in July.

She and board member Mary Busch defended the board, saying that its travel, association memberships and food budgets were modest and spent wisely and should not be misconstrued as wasteful.

From IndyStar: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100428/NEWS04/4280337