How the budget cuts will affect Jeffco schools

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 By Elle Brunsdale

Superintendent of Jeffco schools, Cindy Stevenson - Elle Brunsdale
The Jefferson County Public School System is the largest in the Colorado, with 155 schools, 12,000 employees, and 84,000 students (about 10% of all students in the state). While Superintendent Cindy Stevenson said that the Jeffco School district was already planning to cut $26 million from the 2011-2012 budget based on its 5 year budget plan, she said that after the governor’s proposal, Jeffco Schools are now facing $10 million more in reductions.

Stevenson now has a difficult task: “…to figure out how you preserve the opportunity
you’re giving students in the classrooms given that your general fund is going from $694 million to $592 million.” The general fund Stevenson is referring to has already decreased to $626 million this year. “My job,” said Steveson, “is to work with the staff, work with the community, work with the schools, and say okay, how are we going to make this work?” Last year, 3,000 people worked on the Jeffco Schools Budget, coming up with a list of $40 million worth of possible cuts. While their work will save budget planners a lot of time this year, the path ahead still remains difficult and painful.
With 82% of the general fund currently going to compensation, Jeffco Schools, like other school systems across the state, will be forced to look at the possibility of reducing teacher’s pay.
Stevenson said that the choices are clear: “You either get rid of jobs…or you reduce compensation.” While Jeffco Schools had already expected to have 95 fewer teachers next year, it will now have to look at the possibility of reducing teacher’s pay through furlough days, days where no one—neither staff nor students—goes to school or gets paid.

The school district would save $2.5 million for each furlough day. However, four furlough days would mean a 2% pay reduction for teachers.
“You look at your favorite teacher and you think, ‘That person works harder than any person I know…’ And now, we’re going to possibly have a reduction in their pay,” said Stevenson.
But, the possibility of furlough days presents another difficult dilemma. The state mandates that school must be in session for a certain numbers of hours. “We either have to get a wavier from the State,” said Stevenson, “or find a way to add time to the school day.” Thus, teachers may soon be working longer days for less pay.
“It’s either people’s jobs or people’s pay,” said Stevenson. And with Jeffco
Schools being the largest employer in the county, protecting jobs, especially with today’s economy, is a priority for budget planners. Stevenson said that the cuts are “really damaging to our future” and may have “a long-term impact on student achievement.” When asked about her opinion of the governor’s proposal to solve Colorado’s Financial Crisis, Stevenson said, “I understand why [Hickenlooper] is doing what’s he’s doing, but I certainly don’t like it.” For the past few years, the Jeffco School district has alleviated the effects of a series of cuts by taking money from its reserve accounts, essentially the school’s savings account. This year, it used $37 million from this account to pay for teachers, books, technology, athletics, and utilities—all of the school essentials. After this year, only $100 million will be left in the account. Stevenson projects that Jeffco Schools will need to take out approximately $33-35 million next year and probably more than that the following year.
However, by Colorado Law, the account cannot fall below $40 million, generating the question, what will Jeffco Schools do when it’s financial lifeline runs out?
At that point, “we’ll have to make a choice,” said Stevenson. “We will either have to continue to make reductions, or go back to the voters asking for a tax increase for schools.”