news-record.com

GREENSBORO — About 90 positions at individual county schools could be eliminated under a plan Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green put forth Thursday.

District leaders anticipate having to reduce or redirect about $22 million in the 2009-10 budget. About $13.1 million would come from central administration, but the rest would come at the school level, where most district resources are concentrated.

In a hastily called news conference, Green announced a series of plans to reduce expenses. Position cuts include:

• 11 technology specialists, who help prepare middle school students for the state computer test.
• 64 assistants in school media centers.
• 71/2 English as a Second Language teaching positions from elementary schools.
• 71/2 testing coordinators at high schools. (This is a change from 15 full-time postions to 15 part-time positions.)

Green said cutting the positions would save about $2.9 million. He also said he was planning to hold back about $6 million in student funding to schools. That money is used for classroom supplies, field trips and other spending.

Human resources officials met with employees Wednesday. Green stressed the budget is only a proposal and could change if state funding cuts are not as severe as expected. The school system receives about 60 percent of its budget from the state. Guilford County contributes more than 30 percent; it allocated $232.8 million to schools last year. Federal proceeds make up the remainder.

Green said he wants to avoid layoffs if possible: “We will be working long and hard to find these people a home within this institution.”

For instance, employees with teaching certifications will be encouraged to fill teacher assistant or office support positions.

Mark Jewell, president of the Guilford County Association of Educators, said his organization has urged school leaders to hold off on any job cuts until after federal stimulus money is reviewed. Jewell, who represents about 60 percent of the school system’s educators, said the county stands to receive about $32 million from the stimulus package.

“We’re getting more Title I money (for schools with large poverty populations) than ever before. This money is going to free up resources for other positions,” Jewell said.

Jewell said he will ask Green and school board members to attend the next association meeting.

“We’ve got to have some answers,” he said.

Some of the positions addressed by the proposal are not currently filled, including about 17 media assistant positions.

Green did not give specifics on what administrative positions will be eliminated but said his proposed reorganization plan is designed to eliminate some administrative positions. 

Some school employees learned about system spending cuts in haphazard — and embarrassing — fashion in recent days when they tried to use school-owned debit cards to pay for supplies at local stores. The cards were rejected and the purchases denied.

Nora Carr, Green’s chief of staff, confirmed the purchasing orders and debit card accounts for the schools were frozen over the past few weeks, but school employees weren’t notified, which left some to find out at the register.

“We didn’t handle the communications well internally on that,” Carr said. “That was a place where we made an error.”

The funds have since been reinstated.

Green is due to present his overall budget proposal to the school board April 7.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com