Del's Coming to Campus

And he's got a warning, too:  This budget problem is NOT going away.  If you think 2012 is bad, wait until 2013.  Which sounds a lot like the message he gave in 2011...

Anyway, here goes:

Hello All,
Last night our Board took action to address the budget shortfall for this school year. I understand how difficult this process has been for our employees, parents, and students, but I also want you to know that we did all we could to proactively address our funding issue. Last night’s Board actions are summarized below:


•The proposed distance learning program has been eliminated.

•The Global Positioning System (GPS) for buses has been eliminated.

•Pay raises for certified and classified personnel were reduced from 3% to 2.5%.

•Our Adult Education program remains unbudgeted; however, the Education Committee of the County Commission is taking this program under advisement and will be discussing this program at their next regularly scheduled meeting. This program will remain functioning under normal operations until further notice.

•Despite all of our efforts, personnel reductions are necessary. In an effort to minimize these reductions as much as possible, the Board approved an extension of the 2011-2012 retirement benefits for both certified and classified employees through September 5, 2012. An employee desiring to retire must declare their intent to retire in writing to the Human Resources Department by the close of business on September 5, 2012. Retirement benefit levels are posted on our website and are also attached to this memo. Any vacancy created by an employee electing to retire now could create opportunities for internal transfers and lessen the number of potential reductions.

We will now begin the process of meeting with principals to identify areas in which we can reduce personnel with a minimal amount of impact to our students. We want to make decisions that are thoughtful and strategic; therefore, it may take some time to complete the reduction process.

This year’s budget situation has been arduous, and I want to remind everyone that the systemic issues affecting the long-term health of our system have not been resolved. We have done our absolute best to manage cuts that balance this year's budget, but our funding issues will continue to persist without a commitment on the part of our funding body to work with us in finding a path forward.
I want everyone in our school system to know that I am proud to be a part of our Sumner County Schools, and I am honored to work alongside our teachers and support personnel, who have all shown tremendous resolve throughout this process. I will be on every campus in the coming weeks to visit with you and help answer your questions. Once again, thank you for your support and thank you for all that you do each and every day.
Sincerely,



Del R. Phillips III, Ph.D.
Director of Schools