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The group representing teachers and other school workers says it is irresponsible for the district to set a budget and try to find money for annual pay increases later.
By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 15, 2002
INVERNESS -- Citrus County Education Association president Terry Flaherty asked the School Board this week to put pay raises into its budget in the future rather than trying to find money later to provide employees with annual pay increases.
The CCEA, which represents the district's teachers, clerical workers and teachers aides, is negotiating pay raises for the current school year. Flaherty told board members that it was "fiscally irresponsible" not to build raises into the budget when such a large percentage of the spending plan is for salaries.
The board didn't respond to Flaherty's comments. It met in a closed executive session after the regular meeting to discuss union matters. Bargaining talks will continue in early April.
In other business:
PROGRAM REVIEW: School officials have examined the LIFE program curriculum and made some changes to avoid a recurrence of the problem that happened this school year at Lecanto Primary School, assistant superintendent Linda Kelley told the School Board this week.
The program has been in place in the schools for more than a decade and was designed as a life lesson in which students earned a salary and paid money for basic necessities.
But something went wrong in 10-year-old Spencer Lefke's class early this school year. His behavior cost him his desk and he was never able to earn enough school money to "buy" it back.
When his mother learned in February that he had been sitting on the floor for months, she complained to school officials who began reviewing the curriculum.
Kelley said the program would no longer be seen as an economic lesson but rather a behavioral program. Also, components such as requiring students to "buy" their desk will no longer be included.
Kelley said she would provide board members with a more complete review of the curriculum changes in several weeks.
GRANT WRITER: The board voted unanimously to follow through and hire a grant writer for the new school year.
The board approved the position three years ago but never filled it. Board member Patience Nave brought up the issue saying that the district needed to hire the person now in order to bring more dollars into the school system.
"That's been on the table for a long time," Superintendent David Hickey said. He added that he thought that the position could pay for itself and he agreed that it was needed.
The job could be posted as early as next month.
SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS: Nave also said she was concerned that the various school security plans used throughout the district were not accessible to school staff at the district offices. The plans outline how schools should handle various problems ranging from strangers coming on campus to bomb threats.
Nave said she had raised the issue with Hickey several times and she thought there might be an occasion when a school's plan cannot be accessed from the school because of a crisis. In that case, the staff at the district offices should have easy access to know what the school's plan would be.
Hickey agreed that he would make copies of the plans and find a place to keep them at the district headquarters.