Proposal to the Monroe County Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees
Submitted by:
"Respect the Referendum" Ad Hoc Committee
February 8, 2011
With the tax dollars raised through our community's support for Public Question #2 this past November 2, 2010, the Monroe County Community School Corporation has at its disposal the funding needed to fully restore the programs, positions, and any other budget items cut in February 2010 whose loss now threatens the quality of our schools. We, an ad hoc committee of taxpayers and stakeholders in our community's schools, respectfully and urgently submit the following budget recommendations to the MCCSC Board of School Trustees for its consideration.
1) Our proposal is ... your proposal from June that launched the Referendum campaign. As former Superintendent Dr. Coopman wrote in his June 29, 2010 letter to the School Board regarding the Referendum Levy:
"The message is clear, that the public and school community wants to restore what was lost in the expenditure reductions last February. [...] The following expenditure reductions were enacted in February and could be restored with a successful referendum beginning with the 2011-2012 school year:
Restore MCEA Salary Schedule
Restore Teachers to the Classrooms
Restore ECA Stipends
Maintain Media Specialist
Restore Alternative Education Programming
Restore Honey Creek Program
Restore Foreign Language Programs
Restore Counselors and Social Workers
Restore Teen Learning Center
Restore Youth Outreach
Restore Alternative To Suspension program
Restore Playground Supervisors
Restore Custodial and Maintenance Positions
Restore Summer School Programs
Restore Travel and Professional Development Budgets
Restore Materials and Instructional Equipment Budgets
Restore Administrative Salaries which have been frozen since 2008
Hire Ass't. Supt. for Curriculum and Instruction
Retain Elementary Ass't. Principals
Restore Healthy Schools Coordinator."
As per the superintendent's letter, we recommend to the board that these items, as well as Bradford Woods, and any other budget items cut in February 2010, be fully restored.
2) We urge the Board to allocate tax dollars for reforms and enhancements only after programs, personnel, and any other budget items cut in February 2010 have been fully restored for the 2011-2012 school year, and only with a new Superintendent in office who, "is an educational leader who guides, facilitates, and supports the success of all learners by developing, articulating, implementing, and evaluating an educational vision that is shared and supported by the greater school community." (As stated in: Licensing Rules 2002, Standards for District Administrators)
Ad Hoc Committee:
Fritz Breithaupt
Maria Bucur-Deckard
Matt Christ
Ralph Gaebler
Margot Gray
Oscar Kenshur
Ben Robinson