An inside view of SAD 4
To the Editor;
I am like the majority of property owners, grumbling about our taxes increasing, blaming the town and the county and the government, and the school, for the bills always getting bigger each year. Promised tax reliefs sounded good, but never seemed to find their way onto the bills addressed to me.
My parents taught me the importance of being aware and keeping up with the political scene, forming my own opinions about the issues, and always to try to respect those who administer those tax dollars for the good of the public.
In 1989 I took my first job funded with tax dollars at a non-profit service agency in Wisconsin. I was very proud of the work the agency did helping low-income families try to improve their way of life. My job as an administrator quickly reinforced the need to be diligent at work and to ensure those tax dollars were used wisely. I learned some very valuable lessons and developed good work habits that I have carried with me to every job since.
Fast forward to 2015, Piscataquis County, Maine and I start a new job as Finance Director for SAD 4. Unfortunately, once again this summer of 2016, this administrator will be working some very long days at the computer screen crunching numbers and setting up spreadsheets to share the necessary information so everyone can make an informed decision about the budget and tax dollars funding our schools.
The most common complaint I hear about the budget is “It is too much, we cannot afford it.” And usually it is followed up quickly with “There is too much administration at the school.”
Having already claimed to be one of those administrators, you may choose to stop reading my comments. In that case, thank you for your interest and remember to vote and pay your taxes!
But, if you want to learn some valuable information, please keep reading.
There are five major groups of people within SAD 4: teachers; support staff; other staff who are compensated based on what the current local market will bear; students; and residents of the six local towns supporting and funding our district. Thank you students and residents; without you, I would not need to be writing this editorial.
Group 1 – Teachers are paid on a salary scale, somewhat dictated by the State of Maine, and agreed upon during contract negotiations.
Group 2 – Support staff include educational techs, custodians, secretaries, cooks, bus drivers, bus mechanic, and the grounds keeper. All of these folks are paid by the hour for their work and have pay scales agreed upon during contract negotiations.
Group 3 includes three other hourly staff, some salaried professionals (nurse, guidance counselors, speech and occupational therapy staff and the executive secretary/food service director) and lastly what I call, the administrators of the district.
Who you identify as “Administration” is probably different than someone else and that is OK. As in any organization, it is Administration’s job to support all of the other staff, so they can concentrate on doing their jobs, and at SAD 4, those jobs ensure students get a proper curriculum and good educational experience, all in a clean and safe environment. (Oh and a couple good meals every day and safe rides to/from school.)
Most people don’t realize how much daily work gets taken care of by the administration in an organization, until something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong. You can blame the administration, sometimes it is our fault alone, but many times it is not. We are all on the same team and everyone needs to do their part and try to do it well.
The people I identify as Administration at SAD 4 are the two school principals, a curriculum coordinator, technology director, maintenance director, transportation director, special ed director, the superintendent and me, finance director. The administration team identified above is responsible to keep a safe work environment, with secure buildings and communication systems. We meet with parents, 130-plus staff and around 600 students daily on issues and concerns, gather data to provide reports for State of Maine and federal mandates, on students and staff programs and financial spending. We ensure there are sufficient resources, goods, time and money, to provide all of these things.
Important to everyone, the Central Office staff works very hard to track costs and ensure we have sufficient cash to fund everyone’s biweekly paychecks and pay the vendors who provide goods and services to the district. We also make sure the district has proper liability and insurance coverages to further protect and provide assistance when something bad happens or accidents occur.
Cutting the current administration at SAD 4 can definitely add up to some money savings for the district, but at what cost? Will it make the frustration go away, save you time and make your job easier? No, because everything we do — all of the daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks, still need to get done. Who will do them when we are gone?
If you keep cutting administration at the current proposed levels, too soon only the teachers will be left. And those teachers claim to already be very overtaxed in the classrooms with students. But maybe that is what you want.
The cost of running a school district keeps increasing every year. Student enrollments are dropping here in Guilford, and all over Maine. State funding formulas do not provide any relief to the local taxpayers and towns. The Budget Committee has made some very hard choices during this second round of the budget for the 2016-17 school year. Many vacant positions due to resignations will not be filled. Class sizes will go up. Some programs will suffer cutbacks. Some staff will face decreased work schedules resulting in smaller paychecks for their families.
I am one of these people and I don’t like it either. But, there is no room for greed, unwarranted favoritism or selfish behavior. The district is in crisis and we all have to step up and do our part.
As long as this Administrator is on the payroll at SAD 4, you will get my usual 120 percent. I am available M-F at the superintendent’s office in the old Guilford Primary Building on High Street and at 876-3444. I am happy to listen to your comments and ideas to help our schools.
Thank you for your attention and please come to the District Budget Meeting on Tuesday, July 19th in the elementary school cafeteria. The Budget Validation Referendum Vote is at your local polls on Tuesday, July 26th.
Cindy W. Pullyard
Sangerville