Ogden Teachers Rally for Collective Bargaining

Ogden Teachers Rally for Collective Bargaining

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

School Districts Face Giant Shortfalls

Molly Farmer wrote in the Deseret News: "the budget problems districts face for the 2010-11 school year are worse than some adminstrators have seen in decades. To make budgets balance districts and boards of education are resorting to a variety of cost-cutting measures, including mandating furloughs, laying off support staff, cutting benefits and increasing classroom size."

Canyons School District ($13 million deficit) is mandating five furlough days and is transferring $4.5 million from its capital outlay account to its general fund.

Davis School District ($31 million deficit) hopes to collect $7.5 million from a tax increase, is raising class size by one student districtwide, instituting 2 furlough days and not filling 65 non-teaching positions.

Granite School District ($17 million deficit) is forcing employees to shoulder all insurance increases, elimating positions through attrition and is shifting $1.1 million from its capital outlay funds.

Jordan School District ($29.1 million deficit) approved a $17.5 million cut to programs, resulting in a reduction of 190 classified, or non-teaching, staff. The board will transfer $10 million from the district capital outlay fund. The board and Jordan Education Association have reached an impasse in negotiations and will go to mediation this summer.

Rick