Board Chooses Partial Levy Rollout, Comments

Board Approves Mini-Rollout of Rollback

The Springfield school board, despite pleas from both teacher groups and one concerned parent, chose to adopt a 2006-2007 budget that included a $.0432 rollout of last year's $.14 rollback and a rather timid 2.5% salary increase for teachers. Board members expressed concerns that boosting the levy higher at this late date would require the amending of teacher contracts and budget adjustments that would prove to be problematic for the district.

The rollout will create approximately $1 million in operating revenue, leaving about $2.7 million of voter-approved revenue unused. An additional one percent teacher raise would have required a rollout of approximately $.08 and would have had no effect on the hiring of new teachers.

But that's what would have been . . . on the positive side, it was somewhat encouraging to at least hear a couple of board members publicly express a real interest in teacher salaries and to set their improvement as a priority during the next budget cycle. SNEA will be heavily involved in working to this end.

Strategic Plan SP5 Updated

Community Development and Grants Director, Mark Maness, presented an update on the district's long range strategic plan, titled SP5. SP5 will utilize focus groups, surveys and other marketing tools to gather community input regarding the future of SPS over the next 10 to 15 years. We'll have more on this later as more information is available.

SPS Today has a summary of last night's school board meeting.

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Comments to the board by SNEA President Ray Smith - 8/15/2006

Board Members
Pres. Hoeman
Dr. Ridder

Today I spent the better part of the day meeting some of the 210 new teachers hired into the Springfield school district. It was encouraging to see so many young and energetic faces entering a profession that so many of us have grown to love. I am sure that all of us in this room hope they have a very rewarding first year in the classroom, learning along with their students how to best approach this business of public education.

My experience tells me that most of them will face unforeseen challenges, and some may become discouraged or disillusioned along the way - but the rewards can be unforgettable. It takes a lot of inner strength to teach in today's classrooms, and I know we all wish them well.

Recruiting and retaining the best teaching talent available is one of the goals this district has espoused, but sometimes the district sends a mixed message to teachers and proponents of public education in the community. Last year's tax levy rollback is a perfect example. After some 18 years without a levy increase, the parents, teachers and concerned citizens of Springfield finally approved a $0.25 increase. There was much cause for celebration, especially among the teachers who worked the phone banks and encouraged their friends and neighbors to support our schools.

This is where the confusion begins. The district elected to withhold some $3.6 million of potential revenue that had been approved by the voters in an effort to show careful stewardship - the levy was, in effect, more than the district needed.

Now the district, which is ranked 386th in the state in size of levy (that's just below Couch, Weaubleau, and Purdy, but just above Hurley and Humansville), is ready to roll out another $.04 while offering the teachers a rather modest 2.5% pay increase.

While the rollback and ensuing rollouts of the rollback are confusing, one thing seems perfectly clear. Increasing teacher salaries is not a priority - and now at least one adjacent district has passed Springfield in base salary for teachers. This cannot be seen as a good trend.

I hope the district will work with the teachers in the coming year to help remedy what is a looming problem for the district. Recruiting and retaining quality educators will become more difficult as our teacher salaries slip lower in rank, year after year.

Thank you for your time.