Update: The jobs bill money comes to town.

[LWolf]

I was relieved, and uncomfortable, when the jobs bill passed. Relieved, because my state and school district is in dire straits, and we're taking some draconian measures to survive the budget cuts. Guilty, because of the possible food stamp cuts to fund it.

I was waiting to hear from my district how it would affect us. This is what they sent:

Superintendent Report: It is anticipated that RSD will receive $1.3 million of the $118 million in federal funds (jobs bill) that was recently allocated to Oregon. However, Governor Kulongoski announced yesterday (August 17) that school districts should prepare for an additional state revenue shortfall ranging from $200-$500 million. The amount of funding Oregon school districts will receive for 2010-11 will be announced at the next state revenue forecast scheduled for August 26.

On the first school day of June, we voted to cut the last 3 days of the then current school year, and 8 MORE days off of the coming school year (in addition to the days we cut a year ago,) and to take a significant salary cut (in addition to the salary cut we took a year ago.) The days cut and the salary cut together are harsh. We did that to avoid otherwise inevitable lay-offs, based on the numbers the governor had just released. (We'd already laid off about 50 people the spring before.)

Corrected numbers that were released two days after our association and the district had already agreed to salary cuts to meet the cuts in the projected budget for the coming year, based on the FIRST numbers the governor released.

We agreed to those cuts, based on a commitment by our district to add days and salary back as the funding situation changed, and we hoped for the best. This was in the face of projected increases in health insurance premiums of 15-26 %. I posted that information when it became available:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8903175

A short time to be relieved, and to wonder how many school days we could add back to the year with the extra money coming in, and then another economic kick in the teeth.

I don't know what my first paycheck will look like on October 1st. It will be my first check since June. And it will be significantly lower.

I'm still glad the jobs bill passed. I don't know where else my district is going to cut in another year. We won't be able to avoid another round of layoffs, and large increases in class sizes, if state revenues don't stabilize.

Meanwhile, I still have a mortgage to pay, and our teachers, schools, and districts still have AYP to meet, and test scores to be used as weapons against us, and our students and their families are also struggling in our depressed economy.

I don't know how my community is going to survive the jobless recovery. The jobs need to start recovering, NOW.

[BootinUp]

1. The food stamp thing

is was cuts from future (way in the future like 2014 or something) just a way to balance the books. Should not impact anybody.

Hang in there....

[LWolf]

2. It might not, if the economy is in better shape by then.

The prospects for my state are not good at this point.

[nashville_brook]

3. holy shit this is depressing. it makes the layoffs we're dealing with in the private sector

seem tame.

and the testing and RTTT crap. god, i'm sorry. this is not the way we should be treating teachers. it's shameful.

[LWolf]

4. The way teachers are being treated is shameful.

The way labor is being treated is shameful.

The way the economy is "fine" if the profits are fine at the top, whether or not we have jobs or decent wages...that's shameful.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. kick