Teacher Reductions, Reinstating Pay to Play Part of Brighton Schools Deficit Elimination Plan

The Brighton Area Board of Education voted 6-1 to approve a deficit elimination plan to be submitted to the state of Michigan that includes more than $3.4 million in cuts for the 2013-14 school year during a special meeting Thursday night. The district must cut about $3.5 million to have a break-even budget next year, according to Superintendent Greg Gray.

Among the cuts are a reduction of 10.5 teaching staff for a cost savings of more than $1.1 million. The reductions will include one teacher from Hawkins Elementary, one from Spencer Elementary, two from Maltby Intermediate, one from Scranton Middle School, two from Brighton High School and 3.5 special education teachers. 

The cuts also include reductions in other staff positions such as paraprofessionals, media specialists and in administration.

The board plans to restructure principals in the district to save $312,279. Gray said the layoff notices have already gone out to three administrators: Hornung Elementary Principal Susan Johnson, Maltby Assistant Principal Jeff Eisele and Brighton Community Education Director Anne Renne. 

Gray said the district did not need all three administration positions to get the $312,000, but when laying off from a division, you typically lay off more than needed to create a buffer. He also said he would call back one person, if the board allowed at a later date, and it would be by his recommendation.

Reinstating Pay to Play was also approved as part of the deficit elimination plan. The board had previoiusly adopted a Pay to Play elimination schedule last June that cut fees by 50 percent this year and eliminated them by next year. Pay to Play adds $240,000 a year to the district's revenue. 

Secretary Nick Fiani cast the lone dissenting vote, saying he would not approve the plan because he didn't think the district did enough in terms of 2013-14 budget cuts. Fiani voted for more than $4 million of the almost $7.9 million in proposed cuts, more than any other board member. 

"We're $7 million short on cuts, so even after going through all this, you're (Fiani) saying we're going to cut another $7 million from our operating budge - that's fine but we won't have a school district left," Vice President Bill Anderson said to much applause.

"When it comes down to it, we took an oath to run this school district and we understand that we have to eliminate the deficit, but we also understand that we have a duty to every single citizen here to create a school system that's going to generate the best student possible," Anderson said. "I made a mistake by voting for the reduction in the play to participate. I got too heady because I thought 'gee whiz, we finally got ahead of this thing,' and it was too soon. It's kind of like the president saying the war is over. This is going to be a long, long climb."