Jordan District may cut year-round schedules

WEST JORDAN — Transitioning seven elementary schools from year-round to a traditional schedule is one of dozens of budget cutting measures being seriously considered by the Jordan School Board.

Jordan School District Superintendent Barry Newbold presented the district's budget cutting recommendations to the board Tuesday night as it continues to work toward a final decision on its budget for the 2010-2011 school year which begins July 1.

The budget proposal calls for eliminating 190 full-time equivalent positions. That includes 23 administrative positions, 54 classified positions and 16 non-classroom teacher cuts. Those cuts, along with 97 full-time equivalent employee cuts through program reductions/eliminations and changes, make up the bulk of saving the district $17.2 million.

"There are other non-staff costs — supplies and materials in programs," explained Burke Jolley, deputy superintendent for Business Services.

One program cost reduction is switching the seven elementary schools from year-round to a traditional school schedule. This will save $100,000 per school each year for a total $700,000 saved annually, Jolley said.

A year-round schedule results in a longer work day and more pay days each year for employees — plus more days of busing and therefore higher transportation costs, Jolley said. "Each individual day, there are more costs," he said.

The elementary schools targeted are: Copper Canyon, Elk Meadows, Riverside, Rosamond, Silver Crest, Southland and Westvale.

Tiffany Hardinger, who teaches fifth-grade at Silver Crest Elementary School, is not excited at the idea of moving from year-round to traditional. "It will be very hard. Some teachers chose their school for its year-round schedule," she said.

Hardinger added, "I think parents are really going to be impacted by this — childcare, everything."

Jolley said, "You can't cut $17 million out of the budget and not upset people. It's just impossible." Jolley said.

Jordan District is facing a $30 million deficit due to the recession, state budget cuts and the district split that created the Canyons School District.

Broken down, the fund shortfall is $20 million due to the deficit in the current budget year that ends June 30; $6 million due to the 3 percent in state budget cuts; $2.1 million from a 1 percent retirement cost increase; and $2.4 million for non-teaching operation costs for the new Herriman High School.