On Friday, Superintendent Jeff McDaniel said exact details and results of the Reduction in Force plan are being ironed out.
“We’re still working on this plan right now,” he said. “We want to focus on this very carefully to ensure a fiscally sound budget.”
McDaniel, who served as the system’s chief of academics for three years before being selected as superintendent last November, first unveiled the RIF process at Tuesday’s meeting of the Floyd County school board.
According to the presentation, a loss in funding from the state, to the tune of more than $50 million in the last 10 years, was the primary factor in activating the plan.
McDaniel said he is not yet sure how many employees would be affected, but school principals will have a list of their selected employees on Tuesday.
Through the implementation of the RIF plan, the school system is projected to save more than $7 million in salaries for Fiscal Year 2014, with $4.1 million coming from the instruction area and $1.2 million coming from school administration.
The rest of the staff cuts include $700,989 in the pupil services sector, $494,876 in general administration, $298,511 in maintenance, $95,989 in transportation and $91,997 in business services.
McDaniel said Friday he is not sure how the results of the RIF process will affect the student-teacher ratio in Floyd County schools.
“Until we kind of know exact numbers and details of the plan, that won’t be clear,” McDaniel said. “As we move forward with it, class size is a variable we will pay close attention to.”
Floyd County Schools currently employs 1,604 people, and 940 hold certification in some area.
Information provided by the school system listed class sizes ranging from 17 to 28 students, depending on grade and course.
Pre-K class sizes are set at 22 students by the state, which funds the programs. Kindergarten through third grade varies from 17 to 22 students; fourth and fifth grades have 23 to 28 students; and sixth through 12th grades have 22 to 28 students.
“I know Dr. McDaniel is looking to have the least impact in that area, but when you’re looking at that dollar amount there will be some impact somewhere,” said Tim Hensley, assistant to the superintendent.
According to a comparison with the other 180 county school systems in the state — based on expenditures per full-time enrollment for Fiscal Year 2012 — the school system ranked 178 in instruction costs and 171 in school administration costs. The higher the number, the higher the per-pupil cost.
Floyd County was also 166 out of 180 in maintenance and operation costs and 164 in total expenditures.
The state lists the full-time enrollment for Floyd County Schools in Fiscal Year 2012 as 10,053, and the system’s instruction budget was $66,484.969.93.
No decisions have been made as far as completely doing away with certain programs provided by the school system or closing certain facilities, such as the Floyd County Education Center.
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I would also refer to Dr. McDaniels constant praises of Dr. Plunkett's vision and how she was his mentor and just like a family member of his...we all heard that many times in meeting after meeting.
And what big position do you hold in Dr.McDaniels coven????
And you uneducated dunce...it is POLK and not POKE ..
geez to you, you fool
ddbop, let me help you...poke was a joke. You know...because you said McDaniel is so secretive, someone should check Polk...poke around...Poke County....nevermind...it requires a sense of humor.
And again, be nice: name-calling isn't nice. They teach that in church.
Just because someone defends McDaniel, doesn't mean they blame Plunkett. Relax. I don't know either person. It's a bad situation. Stop making it worse by being divisive.
It could be interesting conversation.
“Due to the complexity and legality of the RIF plan, Principals will not identify or have input in identifying those employees to the RIF or reassigned.” found at http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/274/assets/3GPM_RIFplan.pdf
Or
“McDaniel said he is not yet sure how many employees would be affected, but school principals will have a list of their selected employees on Tuesday.” found at http://rn-t.com/view/full_story/21669783/article-McDaniel-spells-out-RIF-goals-?instance=home_news_lead
Again, which is it?
The Tea Party folks have their hand in the pot too by fooling people into electing "Tea Partiers" who not only want smaller, more efficient government but also want to destroy the most basic of government functions, education, public safety, roads, by starving them of adequate funding.
We asked for it, We got it.