Economy
“Bloody Monday” Set For Garden Valley School Staffers
April 9, 2011 
It looks like a Monday Night Massacre is set for the regular meeting of the Garden Valley School District. A GUARDIAN reader sent us the agenda and said “the majority” of staff–including teachers–will lose jobs if the measures on the agenda are passed.
An insider tells the GUARDIAN it breaks down like this: “There are only approx 21.5 teachers and eight are on the block Monday. All seven para-professionals are on the block and three out of four admin folks. We do have
some other custodians and a person in the kitchen.”
Whether it’s a direct response to the Tom Luna education reforms passed by the legislature or the recent override levy that was vetoed by district patrons, the following proposed staff reduction items are on the meeting agenda:
5. Consideration of motion to terminate the employment effective close-of-business, June 30, 2011, for budgetary reasons, all clerical personnel as follows:
A. Clerical Employee A, Clerical Employee B, Clerical Employee C.
6. Consideration of motion to terminate the employment for budgetary reasons, effective close-of-business, May 27, 2011, all instructional paraprofessionals as follows:
A. Instructional Paraprofessional A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
7. Consideration of motion to terminate the employment for budgetary reasons, effective the end of their contracted school year, all Category 2 and Category 3 elementary teachers as follows:
A. Elementary Teacher A, B, C, D, and E.
8. Consideration of motion to terminate the employment for budgetary reasons, effective the end or their contracted school year, all Category 2 and Category 3 secondary elective subject teachers as follows:
A. Teacher A, B, and C.
Garden Valley might be the first “financial disaster” in Idaho education if the motions before the board are passed. They have run out of money to continue the same level of service to the 230 or so kids in the mountainous district that stretches from Lowman to Crouch along two forks of the Payette River.
UPDATE 4/10/11
GV SCHOOLS SUPER OFFERS A CALMER VOICE
“The board meeting set for Monday is neither “bloody” nor the result of Tom Luna’s education initiatives. It is the result of several years of declining revenue in the State of Idaho.
Each affected employee has been briefed and is fully aware these layoffs are procedural. We intend to hire most back after resetting our budget to the new reality.
The Garden Valley School District has avoided the salary and staff cuts many districts have made the last two years. Good fiscal stewardship by the Trustees, and a healthy cash reserve has protected programs and staff.
This year, cuts must made, and our commitment to staff was to give them the earliest possible warning they and/or their programs may be reduced or eliminated. We have done that.
The motions before the Board on Monday should be no surprise to anyone in our valley, they were discussed at every Levy hearing, and in open session board meetings.
The District is simply positioning itself to realign its staffing and establish the class sizes and elective programs it can afford given the funding allowed. Again, this is not a “financial disaster,” but rather a procedural move to realign expenditures.”
Mike Tomlin, Superintendent of Schools
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Apr 10, 2011, 4:30 am
Why have they run out of money? Has the $/child really hit zero? Or has it increased too much in the recent past and now needs to be reduced. What was the $/child spending (ajusted) 25 years ago?
Can someone show me the proof that more money = better education. I think it does up to a point, but then it gets kind fuzzy. I never understood why a super expensive building was needed.
Apr 10, 2011, 6:06 am
A lot of very intelligent people running our goverment and this state just keeps voting along the same path. How do we ever change it?
Apr 10, 2011, 11:17 am
In GV it isn’t just about Luna’s plan. The teachers and staff members were told of the plan last week before any of this was law. It’s been a two-year nightmare with the current administration. The district is also in the middle of fighting a losing battle with a Public Records request that has now cost the district thousands and thousands of dollars. There has been a tremendous amount of waste at the local level.
Apr 10, 2011, 12:58 pm
Well….what did everyone that voted NO on the levy “think” was going to happen?? People were told up front, and there was still no support. I’m sick of the selfishness, insanity and the scapegoating hobby that has taken hold of the valley.
Apr 10, 2011, 3:52 pm
Yes, the no vote didn’t help a bit but you have to wonder why they’re making 18 terms official BEFORE getting the official word from the state. It’s a knee-jerk reaction from a reactionary administrator.
And why on earth consider a motion to offer the principal a contract on the same night 18 of his employees are being termed? That just seems not only a bad plan for the budget but a bit like rubbing their noses in it.
Why not all the at-will support staff?
I guess we’ll see Monday night but the valley does need to change course where the school is concerned.
Apr 10, 2011, 4:44 pm
The board meeting set for Monday is neither “bloody” nor the result of Tom Luna’s education initiatives. It is the result of several years of declining revenue in the State of Idaho.
Each affected employee has been briefed and is fully aware these layoffs are procedural. We intend to hire most back after resetting our budget to the new reality.
The Garden Valley School District has avoided the salary and staff cuts many districts have made the last two years. Good fiscal stewardship by the Trustees, and a healthy cash reserve has protected programs and staff.
This year, cuts must made, and our commitment to staff was to give them the earliest possible warning they and/or their programs may be reduced or eliminated. We have done that.
The motions before the Board on Monday should be no surprise to anyone in our valley, they were discussed at every Levy hearing, and in open session board meetings.
The District is simply positioning itself to realign its staffing and establish the class sizes and elective programs it can afford given the funding allowed. Again, this is not a “financial disaster,” but rather a procedural move to realign expenditures.
Mike Tomlin, Superintendent of Schools
Apr 10, 2011, 10:26 pm
The superintendent is of course “spinning” prior to Monday’s meeting. I spoke personally with several staff members who do not view this as simply procedural and who do view the absence of “certain” people on the list as suspect at the very least.
Informing staff is very different than officially terming them as is the plan for Monday. Why would any sound board or administration terminiate the employment of people they fully intend to rehire.
Also this message is very different than the one the super delivered himself to community members that the “no” vote on the levy would create a financial disaster.
Apr 11, 2011, 3:01 am
1303 East Central Drive, Meridian, ID 83642
Google that address, it represents all that is wrong with education. It is the headquarters of the Meridian School District. At first glance it might look like a multi national corporation headquarters but it is really a hometown industry… education. How many children get educated in that massive building? Answer is 0. This industry is based on pushing paper and bulls*** all in the name of children. The golden goose is dead. The people have awaken and “for the kids” does not get a free pass anymore. This post has nothing to do with teachers, they are the salt of the earth and deserve every penny. This is about the education admistration industry that has fleeced this country for well over a decade. Enough is enough.
Apr 11, 2011, 9:26 am
This school district appears to have around 35 employees and for that they need a superintendent?
School districts this small should be consolidated. In fact, maybe we should have one school district per county or even less if the counties are small. We cannot continue to have 19th century schools in the 21st century – but that is what keeping the status quo gets us.
Apr 11, 2011, 9:40 am
Mountion Mon? What is a Mon?
Anyhow, you have GOT to be kidding with your comments? You actually think the super is “picking” who gets a pink slip??? There are 18 people who received pink slips…all secretaries, all aides, how is that “this as simply procedural and who do view the absence of “certain” people on the list as suspect at the very least”? How when all the people are getting the same thing is that cherry picking?
you have NO CLUE what you are talking about…
Apr 11, 2011, 10:58 am
Local control of expenses has been delivered to the GV Schools. Now they have to figure out how to live within the amount of dollars the locals are willing to shell out.
A 230 kid school district is just plain inefficient. I am thinking it could be done with 11.0 teachers 1.0 Supt. 1.0 custodian. Let’s face it 230 students are not going to get the same educational opportunities as a student in a larger school district like Meridian or Boise.
Consolidation is also an option. This situation just screams that is it is inherently bloated on the admin side at the expense of students.
EDITOR NOTE–
It appears at first blush there are only 2 administrators–the super and a principal who oversees the k-12 school.
Apr 11, 2011, 11:58 am
I was told last week that my contract would not be renewed next year due to the shortfall in funding to GVSD. My question is this. Why are we so concerned now? We saw this coming last year. Why such a big deal of GVSD’s teachers when Meridian did the same to over 100. Perhaps the patron’s of Garden Valley Schools should learn the difference between being unhappy the administration and the reality of school funding.
Apr 11, 2011, 1:45 pm
If you go over to the KTVB site, you can see a bit of the history at Garden Valley. It looks as if the problems here run deeper than the budget.
Rural schools are faced with a few more obstacles than more urban or suburban schools. The playing field is not equal in my opinion when it comes to funding.
I’d sure like to know what some of the other rural districts are doing.
Apr 11, 2011, 3:34 pm
To frustrated one:
Did the Business Manager get a pink slip? And I’d like to point out that all pink slips did not go to secretaries and aides. Five elementary teachers and three others were informed as well. So perhaps you should be the one in search of a clue.
Consolodation has been talked about for a long time and could be a real solution for overall budget considerations.
GV absolutely does not need nearly two full-time administrators. The district does NOT have to officially terminate this many people.
Apr 11, 2011, 7:55 pm
Idaho City, Horsebend and Garden Valley need to combine districts. Boise County School district. Just that simple.
Apr 11, 2011, 8:47 pm
Werner, I am dismayed to find out this address is not getting used as a school. It was purchased by the Meridian School District for $19MM and the stated purpose was a new high school facility, the district offices and other uses to be determined by the school district.
I don’t live in Meridian but at the time I perceived it as a win-win for taxpayers. Apparently from what you are saying it is not used by the school district anymore as a high school. I do see Idaho State has some signage on the building.
Another irritation is U of I and Idaho State moving in on Boise Turf. Higher education and colleges for profit are soon going to be the only employers in the valley. This is another financial bubble that will not sustain itself leaving students with huge amounts of student loans (oh! I forgot they call it financial aid)they will carry to the grave. They are not dischargable in Bankruptcy and these schools and the lenders know it. They can’t lose a dime on loans to dumb kids who are willing to sign up for lifetime loan repayments.
If you don’t go to an acredited school and take a course of study that will give you some employable credentials you are wasting your money and time. The ads on TV are not truthful and they are very misleading to downright lies.
Apr 11, 2011, 9:02 pm
The districts site advises they have 304 students…
http://idaho.schooltree.org/district/Garden-Valley-District-003016.html
The story notes 21.5 teachers and 7 para professionals.The official site says they have 23.2 teachers. Splitting the difference to 22, that is one teacher or para professional per about 11 students.
The district is broke…there is no more money. I simply do not believe the world will end if that ratio becomes 1 teacher per 15 students.
When I grew up I had 30 per classroom and I, despite that handicap, apparently can understand the concept of broke and the numbers involved.
Bottom line, the voters are tired of paying ever rising taxes for the same mediocre results when the folk getting the lions share of money from those ever rising tax increases already make a lot more than most taxpayers in the town.
The poor paying taxes only to improve the life style of the well to do is the issue. The old ‘starving teacher’ canard no longer flies.
Apr 12, 2011, 7:27 am
JIMV – Those numbers are not current. And the para-professionals often are the ones working one-on-one with special needs students which is mandated by law. They just don’t have a choice when it comes to IEPs.
And GV doesn’t get mediocre results – above state standards and many areas national standards.
Apr 12, 2011, 9:03 am
Mountain Mon….the BM is NOT a secretary, has never been classified as one, so when I said all 3 secretaries got slips, as well as all aides, that was still correct. Also, I’m so impressed with how much you (think) you know:”GV absolutely does not need nearly two full-time administrators” and yet “And the para-professionals often are the ones working one-on-one with special needs students which is mandated by law”. Isn’t it easy for you to say we don’t need administrators, but yet we need paras. Have you ever been to the school? There are some aides that work like dogs, and then there are others that just walk around, waiting for someone to find them something to do. We have too many of them, they need a Spec Ed director that can delegate jobs better, do better scheduling with who she has and run a tighter ship. Oh that’s right, the school HAD someone on board to do that, until some crazy community member ran them out of town. Same song & dance, different day!
Apr 12, 2011, 10:11 am
Above Idaho standards or national standards is not all that grand when one figures we spend more than all but 3 modern industrialized nations on education yet rank toward the bottom in results. The bottom line remains the same…there is no money. If educators want to maintain full employment they need to agree to fewer benefits and less pay.
Apr 12, 2011, 1:55 pm
Mountain Mon…I see that there is a story listed above this one, which clearly list that the BM is NOT part of the clerical staff…hope that helps clear up the confusion you must have on who is who, since that seems to be your place to figure that all out.
Apr 12, 2011, 3:50 pm
I’m simply saying the BM SHOULD be on the list – like everyone else. That seems most “humane”.
Apr 12, 2011, 10:14 pm
Mountain Mom, that is just stupid. The Business Manager is only one person, it is a bit hard to downsize when she is the only one to manage the bank accounts, pay all employees, and pay bills. If the district lays her off…who does the required daily finance work?
It looks like cooks and custodians are also exempted – but they can probably be cut anytime.
Apr 13, 2011, 8:38 am
Well said “not stupid”….Mountain mom (I see it’s not Mountain Mon anymore)… just who do you think would do all the buiness office things…state reports, etc?
Apr 13, 2011, 9:25 am
When one speaks of cuts one has to see where the money is…I suspect one would have to get rid of a lot of cooks and janitors to total one ‘educator’.
Apr 13, 2011, 10:35 am
I’ve worked for government a lot, and in GV the district has one business manager, one principal for the school, and a part-time super to manage all of the federal and state reports. That is pretty lean.
One thing is sure – the feds and state will always demand more and more reporting, more forms, more data. If they are holding the line on admin they are doing very well.
Apr 13, 2011, 12:57 pm
Well said “Government worker”. No one has a clue, even though Mountain Mom seems to think she does, at how much paperwork has to be done for reports & such. You can’t even compare it to what they did in schools 10 years ago..it changes that much and increases each year. I think the school does great on the administration they have. Just people being ding-dongs!