Published: April 11, 2008 10:25 pm            

OUR VIEW: NT school cuts require further thought

North Tonawanda school board members are discussing cuts to staffing in the district and this deserves some closer scrutiny.

On its face, we are inclined to agree with the board that cuts are appropriate. With overall population numbers dropping steadily in the region and the city for a generation, the current levels shouldn’t be necessary. A closer study of enrollment should be done to confirm this, but the idea isn’t a bad one.

However, we question whether the proper staffing cuts are being looked at. Those cuts could include two full-time teacher aids, six student workers, four elementary school teachers that would not be replaced and a full-time guidance counselor at the high school.

You’ll note that nowhere on that list is there an administrative position. We find it difficult to believe that the only positions able to be cut from the budget are among the teaching ranks.

North Tonawanda residents might recall that the board recently granted Superintendent Vincent Vecchiarella a raise beyond the contract he signed with the district — and did so without notifying taxpayers until we inquired.

If staffing levels need to be reduced in order to maintain an appropriate tax levy, we support sensible cuts. What we won’t support are cuts made at a base level — the one that most affects students’ education — without also evaluating the district’s upper echelon employees.

It sends a poor message to teachers and the community if the board opts to cut positions that directly impact children without so much as thinking about the bosses who do not. Of course the district needs people to oversee its employees, but if there are too many employees, it would stand to logic that there could be too many administrators.

Those positions deserve the same scrutiny.

        

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