http://66.225.205.104/LM20101012.mp3
CMS staff and board members yesterday came closer to answering the question, "How much would closing about a dozen schools save the district?" The estimate: about $3.4 next year, and $6.2 million each following year. Yesterday, district staff also recommended closing two more schools: Oakhurst and Lincoln Heights. For the past month, the school board has looked at changes to the district that include closing schools and re-drawing boundaries for many other schools only knowing how much it would save to close your average elementary, middle and high school. Yesterday, board members saw what staff called "preliminary" dollar amounts attached to each change. Altogether the savings add up to $6.2 million each year, but next year it's expected to be about half that because the district has to up-fit several buildings to handle additional students and convert others to accommodate whole new student bodies. The board also heard some other numbers yesterday from Superintendent Peter Gorman. The state budget director's official letter arrived last week asking school districts to come up with cuts totaling 5, 10 and 15 percent of state dollars. "To break that out that's a little over $30 million, a little over $60 million and a little over $90 million in the reductions we'll plan for next year," said Gorman. In contrast a $3.5 million dollar savings, or even $6 million doesn't seem like much. So is closing a dozen schools and shifting the boundaries of many others worth it? Board Chair Eric Davis is quick to relate the savings to teaching jobs. "Every dollar that we save in the fall through closing or consolidating buildings is one of the best ways to preserving teacher jobs when we face the budget challenges this spring. That is the core issue of this process," says Davis. Board member Trent Merchant says cost-cutting is only one reason the district is looking at closing schools. "We're getting more kids into better learning environments and if we can save some money and become more efficient along the way we're going to do that," says Merchant. Also at yesterday's meeting, CMS staff added two more schools to the list of those up for closure. Under the plan, Lincoln Heights Elementary would close and Villa Heights would move into that building. Oakhurst Elementary would also close and the Morgan school would transfer there. Tonight CMS will hold a public forum to discuss changes at six schools that include University Park, J.T. Williams, and Irwin Avenue. The meeting takes place at the Government Center at 6pm.