Tentative budget calls for 37 furloughs
Uniontown Area School Board approved a 2012-13 tentative budget Monday that does not call for a tax increase, but reflects the possible furloughing of 37 district employees.
According to Dr. Charles Machesky, acting superintendent, to balance the $39,071,698 budget, district officials would need to find about $1.6 million, an estimate he said would bring expected expenditures in line with projected revenues.
He said those factors will depend on how much funding the district will receive from the state, the high school construction reimbursement amount and a district expenditure report that has not yet been finalized.
Machesky said the tentative budget reflects the elimination of one administrative position and the furloughing of 33 professional teaching staff members as well as three part-time cleaning positions and three part-time security personnel, fulltime equivalent positions, if directors pass the final budget as is in June.
Machesky said he does not think it is realistic for the district to furlough that significant a number of staff members, and he and other district officials plan to meet with teacher representatives to discuss options.
“Salary adjustments are going to have to be discussed with district employees,” he said.
The tentative budget passed in a 5-1 vote, with directors William Gerke, Philip Holt, Thomas George, Bill Rittenhouse and Vincent Winfrey approving and Director Kenneth Meadows opposing. Directors Dorothy Grahek, Lloyd Williams and Susan Clay were unable to attend the meeting.
Other suggested cuts to balance the preliminary budget, according to Machesky, include eliminating middle school volleyball and the wrestling program at the high school as well as a 25 percent reduction in supply purchases in all athletic programs. He said the district will also save money by not replacing three professional employees who retired this year and not filling three teaching positions left vacant through resignations. He said a principal resignation is also planned. Machesky said the district will not purchase any books nor will there be any major equipment purchases, such as computers.
The budget also reflects about $152,000 in savings from the Central Administration closure. Those employees have been relocated to the high school.
“This is my 11th budget with the school district, and it’s the most excruciating one,” said Machesky, who officially retired in March but remains in the position for one year in an acting capacity. “Those positions are not just positions. I know the names and families attached to those positions. We have a lot of work to do between now and June 18, when this board passes a final budget.”
On Monday, directors also accepted the resignation of the district’s business manager, Vincent Belczyk, who will move to the Peters Township School District in July to serve as business manager. Meadows questioned board members regarding negotiations with Belczyk.
“How did we go from negotiating a contract with him last month to being asked to accept his resignation this month?” Meadows asked. “Good business managers don’t grow on trees. I would like us to renegotiate.”
Meadows opposed the motion to accept the resignation, asking for more time to negotiate, but the vote passed 5-1.