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If 30 fails, try consolidating districts
Published Jan. 26, 2004
By LEE SCHROEDER
Guest columnist
In regard to the upcoming election, on the proposed $800 million tax surcharge, I submit the following idea on how to help solve the school predicament if the measure fails.
The state of Nevada has 17 counties and 17 school districts. Clark County (Las Vegas) has about as many as the entire state of Oregon, but only one group of administrators take care of the entire county. Washoe County (Reno) has some 400,000 residents, yet has only one group of administrators.
The state of Oregon has 36 counties and 197 school districts (as of Jan. 26, 2003) . This information indicates that Nevada has 17 superintendents while Oregon has 197. Therefore, if the average salary for a superintendent is $100,000, Nevada is spending $1.7 million for superintendents, while Oregon is spending $19.7 million for the same position.
These figures are just for superintendents, however they are (depending on the size of the school district) somewhere between seven and 13 other district-wide positions.
Now let us take a look at Klamath County. I have obtained a salary schedule for both the city and county school districts and they are as follows:
City
(These do not include benefits.)
Superintendent $107,000
Deputy superintendent $92,000
Secondary curriculum director $82,244
Elementary curriculum director $84,883
Special education director $77,842
Business manager $79,607
Bus supervisor $43,260
Maintenance director $51,200
Total $618,036
There are about 10 certified personnel (secretaries, receptionist, and others) in the district office at $61,000 per year including benefits, such as health care.
Administration: $618,036 Certified personnel: $610,000 Total: $1,228,036
There may be other expenses, but I did not dig too deeply. If benefits for the scheduled for the certified personnel, the figures would be much more, in both the city and the county districts.
County
(These do not include benefits).
Superintendent $105,461
Personnel director $90,573
Curriculum director $90,781
Business manager $86,651
Special services director $77,740
Maintenance, custodial director $49,018
Payroll $39,452
Accountant $42,986
Transportation director $47,068
Total: $629,730
The county did not give me the salaries of secretaries and other classified, so I will use the city figures of $61,000 apiece, including benefits. That equals $610,000, though it may be more.
Total administration: $629,730
Total classified: $610,000
Total county district: $1,239,730
Total city district: $1,228,036
In a county with a population of approximately 50,000, why in the world do we need two school districts, when we could save $1.2 million and probably more if we unified.
By combining the two districts, teachers and programs could be saved and teachers could be placed back in the area for which they were trained. Right now, one of the finest industrial art teachers in the state is teaching physical education at one of our county high schools.
Please don't think I am anti-administration. Far from it. Good administrators are vital, but we do not need more generals than we have soldiers.
By LEE SCHROEDER
Guest columnist
In regard to the upcoming election, on the proposed $800 million tax surcharge, I submit the following idea on how to help solve the school predicament if the measure fails.
The state of Nevada has 17 counties and 17 school districts. Clark County (Las Vegas) has about as many as the entire state of Oregon, but only one group of administrators take care of the entire county. Washoe County (Reno) has some 400,000 residents, yet has only one group of administrators.
The state of Oregon has 36 counties and 197 school districts (as of Jan. 26, 2003) . This information indicates that Nevada has 17 superintendents while Oregon has 197. Therefore, if the average salary for a superintendent is $100,000, Nevada is spending $1.7 million for superintendents, while Oregon is spending $19.7 million for the same position.
These figures are just for superintendents, however they are (depending on the size of the school district) somewhere between seven and 13 other district-wide positions.
Now let us take a look at Klamath County. I have obtained a salary schedule for both the city and county school districts and they are as follows:
City
(These do not include benefits.)
Superintendent $107,000
Deputy superintendent $92,000
Secondary curriculum director $82,244
Elementary curriculum director $84,883
Special education director $77,842
Business manager $79,607
Bus supervisor $43,260
Maintenance director $51,200
Total $618,036
There are about 10 certified personnel (secretaries, receptionist, and others) in the district office at $61,000 per year including benefits, such as health care.
Administration: $618,036 Certified personnel: $610,000 Total: $1,228,036
There may be other expenses, but I did not dig too deeply. If benefits for the scheduled for the certified personnel, the figures would be much more, in both the city and the county districts.
County
(These do not include benefits).
Superintendent $105,461
Personnel director $90,573
Curriculum director $90,781
Business manager $86,651
Special services director $77,740
Maintenance, custodial director $49,018
Payroll $39,452
Accountant $42,986
Transportation director $47,068
Total: $629,730
The county did not give me the salaries of secretaries and other classified, so I will use the city figures of $61,000 apiece, including benefits. That equals $610,000, though it may be more.
Total administration: $629,730
Total classified: $610,000
Total county district: $1,239,730
Total city district: $1,228,036
In a county with a population of approximately 50,000, why in the world do we need two school districts, when we could save $1.2 million and probably more if we unified.
By combining the two districts, teachers and programs could be saved and teachers could be placed back in the area for which they were trained. Right now, one of the finest industrial art teachers in the state is teaching physical education at one of our county high schools.
Please don't think I am anti-administration. Far from it. Good administrators are vital, but we do not need more generals than we have soldiers.
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| People not getting right set of choices |
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