Leaders discuss axing one school day to save money

Members of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee have a long list of budget cut options to study until Wednesday, Jan. 21 when they will make a formal recommendation.

The State Office of Education, along with other public agencies, is looking at a 7.5 percent budget cut which means slicing $194 million from public education, for the rest of fiscal year 2009. Public education also is subject to a 15 percent cut for fiscal year 2010 which means axing $369.5 million.

State Board of Education member Greg Haws, who is chairman of the State Board's finance committee, points out the state would save $12.5 million by simply reducing the school year by one day.

Haws added, however, that each day school is cancelled would mean a day of teachers not working and not getting paid. Whether budget cuts could include slicing teacher pay depends on whether the educator's contract includes a non-appropriation clause.

State Board member Dave Thomas, vice-chairman of the Board's finance committee, said they are still researching the educator contract issue.

Legislators have advised the State Board to target programs, not teachers and class sizes when proposing budget cuts.

State Board members say it is going to be difficult to not affect educator salaries and benefits in these budget cuts when 85 percent of school budgets are spent on this area.

Further, Haws points out the school year is half over. "We can't really wind the clock back," he said.

A list of recommendations outlined by the Legislature's budget officials and presented to the Public Education Appropriations Monday targets the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, among other education areas.

One line item calls for eliminating an 18-student residential program at USDB, which is based in Ogden. It would save $761,400 for fiscal year 2010.

USDB superintendent Timothy Smith, who attended the meeting, said, he is concerned about that item, along with several others targeting USDB.

"The major problem we have is we are considered like a public school when it's beneficial to others. We are considered as a state agency if it benefits others," Smith said, but acknowledges these are simply recommendations.

Rep. Tim Cosgrove, D-Murray, said it seemed to him USDB was "overly impacted" in the recommendations. "The percent seems to impact them greater," he said. "Their programs are fixed costs."

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