Wicomico schools weigh cuts

SALISBURY -- The Wicomico County school board has received a "cut catalogue" from staff recommending some 111 items to be considered for elimination next year.
Included on the list is the removal of the employee relations coordinator position, for a yearly reduction of nearly $100,000. The post was previously filled by Stacy Messick who, along with district Director of Human Resources Stephanie Moses, was placed on administrative leave in late December 2011.
A new position, director of human resources and employee relations, appears to consolidate Moses' and Messick's positions and is being advertised on the district's website. Former superintendent Bill Middleton is serving as acting director of human resources.
So far, school officials have declined to give a reason for the actions. According to spokeswoman Tracy Sahler, "it is a personnel matter and cannot be discussed."
Also among proposed reductions receiving attention at a recent work session, board members asked for more details on a reduction in bus stops that was billed to save as much as $80,000 next year.
"Transportation is the way it is because it evolved that way," said Dave Reeve, supervisor of transportation. "It goes back to where kids were picked up when they were in kindergarten."
He said the changes would reduce the number of stops inside developments, away from main roads, bringing the practice in line with the district's current policy and saving money on time and gas.
Board member Tyrone Chase expressed concerns about younger grades walking long distances to stops, but Reeves said the age of children would be considered in adjusting stops.
Under the policy as it is now, students could be expected to travel up to a mile to get to their bus stop.
Reeves said the proposed change wouldn't affect midday drop-offs for prekindergarten students, which he said are almost "door-to-door."
Board members did not think it was responsible for parents to let young children walk long distances to stops by themselves, though they knew it happened. They requested more information from Reeves on the change before a decision is made.
Board members also requested another item be removed from the cut catalogue entirely. A mentor-teacher program costing about $38,000 a year was proposed for elimination, but board member Carolyn Elmore said she wrote her dissertation on the topic and knew it was too important.
The program pays for experienced teachers who have retired from the system to come back and work part time to mentor new teachers.
The number of new teachers and recent retirees participating in the program has increased lately under retirement incentive options that pay experienced employees at the top of their pay scales a lump sum to retire.
Superintendent John Fredericksen said each employee who retires through the Voluntary Retirement Incentive Option preserves about one and a half positions at the lower end of their pay scale.
Officials said keeping some of those experienced teachers in the schools at a lower cost through the mentor program was a good deal.
Fredericksen asked that VRIO be continued next year for an projected reduction of about $923,000.
On the revenue end of the balance sheet, several "enhancements" have also been proposed. Such revenue possibilities include the development of a program to market to local and national companies for advertising at County Stadium, school gyms and athletic fields.
A $2,000 per student fee for pre-K students for whom the service is not mandated by law was also proposed for a revenue increase of $100,000, as well as an increase in participation fees for extracurriculars by $10.
Destination ImagiNation program fees of $30 per student and fees for student agendas were also on the list.
Along with the elimination of subsidies to the county Recreation Parks & Tourism Department, expected income from the auction of old computer systems brought the grand total of proposed revenue additions to $230,000.