Tough Cobb school budget could mean fewer teachers, school days
Students in Cobb County will see fewer teachers and school days next year if austerity cuts recommended by Superintendent Michael Hinojosa take effect.
The school system is facing another deficit next year and Hinojosa told the school board Wednesday that it appears he'll need to cut 250 teacher positions and 26 paraprofessionals while shortening the school calendar by five days.
"This is a very challenging budget," he said. Hinojosa blamed ongoing "austerity" cuts from the state for a glaring gap between projected spending and revenue.
Last fall, school system finance chief Mike Addison estimated Cobb's gap for next school year at over $72 million, an approximation based on incomplete information. The new projection of a $62.4 million deficit is based on more solid numbers, such as next year's expected enrollment. But key facts, notably the value of the local property tax base, are still unavailable. The new estimates are based on an expected 2 percent drop in the taxable value of real estate, but Addison called that "purely a guess on our part."
Hinojosa said he could accomplish the reduction in teachers without layoffs, since more than 500 voluntarily leave the system each year. But the cuts would pinch the classroom, increasing the student-teacher ratio by two at every grade level. And the proposal to institute five furlough days would reduce the school calendar to 175 days.
The proposed budget of $880.9 million is up about $29 million from the current $851.8 million budget.
Even with the $18.6 million saved in reduced teaching positions and the $14.5 million from furloughs, the school system would face a deficit of tens of millions of dollars. Hinojosa is also recommending a $5 million reduction in teacher raises and the use of $21.5 million in savings.
The money from the school system's fund balance is for "rainy days," Hinojosa noted. "And if it's not raining now financially, I don't know when it's going to start raining," he said.
Board members are supposed to approve the budget in July.
"We're going to have to have a lot more discussion," said board member Lynnda Eagle. "A lot of this burden is going on the backs of teachers."
Alison Bartlett, another board member, said she was concerned about the continued use of sales tax revenue to fund operations. Hinojosa's proposal assumes the transfer into operating accounts of $22.2 million in unspent proceeds originally intended for construction. Cobb has made similar transfers over the past two years.
Without the use of that money, the gap would actually be over $84 million. Bartlett also said the increase in class size would be regrettable.
Parent Sarah Lyons said too many of the proposed cuts were being shouldered by teachers. She has a kindergartner and high school junior attending Cobb schools in the Smyrna area and she was chiefly concerned about the increase in the student-teacher ratio.
"At some point," she said, "it's going to go from teaching to crowd management."
Lyons said she understands the need for cuts, but said officials should look for savings elsewhere first, like cutting back on paper copying and disposables in the cafeteria. "Are we looking for administrative cuts?" she asked.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
