DeKalb enrollment drops; schools plan job cuts

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DeKalb schools plan cuts

By KRISTINA TORRES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/01/08

DeKalb County schools Superintendent Crawford Lewis on Monday laid the groundwork for staff cuts that will affect hundreds of jobs. The plan represents a wholesale change for the system, which has long prided itself in protecting staff from the boot. No layoffs are imminent, but plans for them are under way and will start next summer.

Renee Hannans Henry

(ENLARGE)

Crawford Lewis, superintendent of DeKalb County Schools, in a 2004 photo.

WHY NOW?

DeKalb is feeling squeezed by the dip in enrollment because Georgia pays for public schools by attaching dollars to individual students. Fewer students equal less state funding. An additional aggravation for school officials: The state continues to pay less than state guidelines require. These austerity cuts in state education funding, by the end of next school year, will have cost DeKalb $93.6 million since 2002. Those cuts are expected to continue, given the economy. Letting the numbers dwindle only through retirement or attrition would take too long.

WHY DOWNSIZE?

Unlike neighboring suburbs, where enrollment has been growing, DeKalb's enrollment has fallen to about 99,000 students from 101,000 two years ago. The system can no longer afford all its employees. Salaries and benefits make up 91 percent of the system's $894.1 million general operations budget. Lewis' goal is 86 percent, which he said can be achieved in three to five years.

WHO'S AFFECTED?

Employees in managerial and support services including the departments of transportation, public safety, public relations, student relations and plant services. Lewis said he wanted to review the number of school administrators — particularly assistant principals — on each campus. He also noted the system's athletic department is not self-sustaining, sounding an early warning that some sports may be on the cutting block.

PAY NOW, SAVE LATER?

Officials on Monday released a preliminary study noting which departments needed a closer look. Lewis, in large part for legal reasons, recommended the board hire an outside firm to conduct audits of personnel and pay scales, as well as job functions. One firm that could do the work is Florida-based Evergreen Solutions, which did the preliminary study presented Monday. The firm's estimated cost? $775,000. The savings from making job cuts could be tens of millions annually, although system officials could not yet give an exact number.

WHAT'S NEXT?

End of November — that's when Lewis expects to have firm numbers on how many jobs would be cut and how much money it would save. Some functions could eventually be outsourced or eliminated. Meanwhile, DeKalb is under a hiring freeze for "non-essential" positions. An early retirement offer is in the works for central office employees with 30 years experience; at least 170 have been identified as targets.

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Comments

By ErrUmm

Jul 3, 2008 1:38 AM | Link to this

I wonder if Dr. Lewis was concerned about the budget when he decided to give himself a raise along with his buddies as opposed to the teachers. He can't live on 200,000 but he expects teachers to live on 45,000-50,000. The best thing for the budget and Dekalb County is to get rid of the superintendent and his costly staff and then everyone else can keep their jobs. This may even add to the budget a few $100,000.

By A Discombobulated Dekalb Teacher

Jul 2, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this

If Dekalb didn't spend so much time re-hiring people who are retired to do jobs, then maybe some money could be saved! There are people double dipping into the sauce because they are drawing pensions and taking a salary. If they want to be justified for spending so much money for salaries, then they need to pay us (teachers) much more than we make! We are the ones who need it. I can't believe Dr. Lewis DID NOT WANT to give us the 2.5% raise mandated by the state. The board members made him re-work the budget and FIND the money to pay us.

By Benevolous

Jul 2, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

Makes the decision to pass on Sembler's offer to pay $65,000,000 for the unnecessary and outdated property on Druid Hills seem even more ridiculous now doesn't it?

By Ted

Jul 2, 2008 7:44 AM | Link to this

How many times has DeKalb hired a company to come in and conduct adits of personel? They pay them huge amounts of money and they never do anything with it. They hired a complany to find Johnny Brown he was a joke. Took the system for huge amounts of money. He brought in his people and paid them big money and got rid of other people. Bottom line DeKalb wastes too much money hires too many relatives and not the best employees for positions.

By cgregister

Jul 1, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this

Dekalb is so top heavy it isn't even funny. The one good thing that Johnny Brown did was clean house at the Central Office. It's a shame that the current administration has doubled what Brown got rid of. I have never seen so many cubicles in one place in my entire life.
CUT FROM THE TOP - NOT THE MAIN RESOURCES.

By Michael

Jul 1, 2008 5:48 PM | Link to this

I bet, as with any of these school systems, the administration building is where all the waste is at. In Gwinnett everyone in the Admin building makes 100K or more and never sees a child. What a waste.

By KC

Jul 1, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this

A less than 2% dip in enrollment is causing layoffs? I would think the rise in the cost of diesel fuel would have a much more devastating impact on the budget than that minor dip in enrollment.