The debate has officially started in the Niles Community Schools district. What to cut and what not to cut is the question.

The Niles District Education Association presented Monday its list of cost-saving measures to the board of education, which is facing the need to cut around $3 million from its budget for the 2011-2012 school year.

“The association believes that teachers work on the front line of education and directly affect the success of the students in the classroom,” President Andy Roberts said during the meeting. “Last year teachers agreed to pay more for insurance costs, more in prescription costs and took a wage freeze for the 2010-2011 school year.

“The board still laid off teachers and has told us to expect layoffs this year,” he continued. “It is impossible to continue the success that this district has enjoyed without the highly-qualified teachers that have time after time produced highly successful results.”

Included in the association’s proposed list is combining the assistant principal and athletic director into one position; share support services like busing and food service with other districts; offer advanced placement and early college classes to attract students to the district; and support a regional enhancement millage up to three mills for multiple years.

Board member Jeff Curry immediately took Roberts to task, asking for data to support each item as a viable cost saving measure. He began with the first item on the list, which suggested the board stop paying for legal representation in order to negotiate contracts.

Curry asked Roberts if the NDEA’s own negotiator was paid for his services.

“It’s not paid by public funds, by school funds,” Roberts said.

Curry pressed the issue, asking again, if the organization’s negotiator was a paid position.

“Is your negotiator paid? Yes or no?” he said.

The NDEA does utilize the services of a union negotiator paid for by the teachers union. Roberts told the board he would be more than willing to negotiate a contract with the district himself.

Curry also questioned the claim that the items included on the recommended list of cuts would lead to “substantial” savings for the district.

In addressing the sharing of support services, Curry asked, “You’ve used the word ‘substantial.’ How much?”

“I don’t know,” Roberts said.

Curry then asked for a guess.

“I don’t know,” Roberts said again.

Another item at issue was the suggestion to stop farming out printing projects and do all district printing in-house. Though Roberts did not have a number to present to the board as far as how much money the move could save, board president Dana Daniels said estimates regarding the same issue last year came to about $13,000 in savings.

The board, appreciative of the association’s suggestions, welcomed more in the future — but their concern was clear that cuts need to be substantial enough for the dark cloud that is the $3 million looming shortfall.

Also discussed on the list is the elimination of tuition reimbursement for administrators — something already being discussed, Curry said. Charging an increased fee for use of school facilities, however, could be an incentive for outside clubs and organizations to use neighboring districts to hold events instead.

As for a regional millage, each district in the county would have to come to agreement in order to put the millage up for vote. Roberts did not know of any examples where such a move had been successful.

Superintendent Richard Weigel explained that a regional enhancement millage is often dedicated to a specific cause, such as special education or technology, but he was unaware of any county to have moved for a millage for general funding.

“I know several have tried,” he said. “And they have all failed.”

“It would be helpful to see numbers and data and research,” Curry said. “There’s not a lot there. There’s very little there. I guess I would challenge you to help us out that way.”

Union’s cost-saving suggestions

Niles District Education Association’s recommended budget cuts for 2011-2012 school year (as presented to the Niles Community Schools Board of Education)

• Stop paying a law firm to negotiate contracts

• Combine the high school assistant principal and athletic director into one position

• Eliminate tuition reimbursement for administrators

• Share support services such as busing and food service with other local school districts to re            duce the costs. Savings would be “substantial.”

• Copying, duplicating and printing costs could be reduced by doing all printing in house. They have a fully-operational print shop at the senior high school. “There is no excuse for farming out our printing,” the union stated.

• Have maintenance staff replace all light fixtures and bulbs with high-energy light fixtures and bulbs. After the initial investment the energy savings would be “substantial.”

• Install solar panels, wind turbines and rain catchers on the roofs of each building to reduce utilities bill. After initial investment, the savings could be “substantial.”

• Offer advanced placement and early college classes within the district. “We do have teachers that are qualified and certified to teach these classes,” the union stated.

• Many clubs and organizations use facilities (gyms, cafeterias and auditorium) for free or for a minimal charge. Increase all user fees for all non-school organizations or activities, Miss Niles, drama club, wrestling club, travel teams and others. Require those organizations to use the district’s concessions for their event. Revenue for the district would be “substantial.”

• The district must use the bidding process. “All too often we give a job to someone familiar instead of getting the most for our money,” the union stated. Savings to the district is “substantial.”

• Offer a cognitive impaired classroom so the district is not sending cognitively-impaired students out of the district to attend these classes. “We do have certified staff for this classroom. Savings would be the per pupil funds and transportation costs that we are currently paying for these students,” the union stated.

• Support a ISD-wide regional enhancement millage of possibly up to three mills for multiple years. Would give every district in the county $288 per student per year for every mill passed.

Source: Niles District Education Association