School Board Preview: Budget Discussion and Collective Bargaining

The Mehlville School District Board of Education is meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. to discuss budget issues, approve the 2011-2012 school calendar and vote on an agreement between the district and the Mehlville National Education Association (MNEA).

Items from the Jan. 20 board meeting are rescheduled for Thursday due to the meeting’s inclement weather cancellation.

In the Jan. 5 meeting, the board asked administration to for the 2011-2012 budget. The adminstration will present their recomendations for budget cuts at tonight’s meeting. 

According to the agenda, the summary of potential reductions and savings include:

• Freezing all salaries at current rates ($1,350,000 in savings).
• Reductions, attrition and re-assignments in administration and staff ($1,450,000 in savings).
• Delaying textbook adoptions ($300,000 in savings).
• Reducing the building budget and delaying facilities projects such as asphalt repairs ($300,000 in savings).
• Reorganizing the , and relocating a portion of the bus fleet ($262,000 in savings).
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds and savings from Certificates of Participation refinancing ($735,000 in savings).
• Items from the original Contingency Plan list such as mileage rates, summer inventory and miscellaneous items ($155,000 in savings).
• Parents As Teachers staff reduction of one half of a full-time staff position, plus support staff reduction ($54,000 in savings).

The total savings would be $4,606,000 and the board will continue discussing the budget throughout the spring.

Also on the agenda, the MNEA will be vying for a collective bargaining agreement which includes negotiating with teachers on an annual basis. The agreement would provide a framework for annual discussions. The board and teachers have been meeting throughout the year to develop the agreement, according to the agenda.

The proposition would apply to “all regular, full and part-time professional teaching staff,” and consider the MNEA the initial representative for bargaining.

Effective from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, the agreement references district policies and procedures such as working rights, pay, suspension and termination.

The district would also conduct an election during the 2010-2011 school year to choose “the sole and exclusive bargaining representative organization” for teachers, according to the proposed agreement.

The 2011-2012 school calendar, developed by the human resources department, is slated for board approval. The calendar must include 174 school days and 196 teacher contract days (including paid holidays) in accordance with state mandates.  School will start in mid-August and first semester final exams would take place before winter break. MAP testing would be two weeks after spring break. 

The board will also nominate Secretary Larry Felton to represent the district in the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA). If approved, Felton would serve as Regional Governmental Relations Chair for a two-year term.