Saturday, March 13, 1999
CPS could save $30 million
Unions must agree to cuts first
BY MARK CURNUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) administrators have tentatively identified $23 million to $30 million in savings after reviewing a performance audit by the Ohio auditor's office, district officials said Friday.
“We appreciate the opportunity to participate in a state-funded review of our operations,” Superintendent Steven Adamowski said. “After carefully analyzing the auditor's recommendations, we have identified many areas of potential savings and are moving forward over time to implement those savings that do not adversely impact student achievement.”
More than two-thirds of potential savings recommended by the auditor's report — $23 million — would require negotiations with CPS' collective bargaining groups, he said.
The district's collective bargaining agreements expire in December with all groups except administrators.
Tom Mooney, president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, said many of the savings estimates are based on state statutory minimums that are two decades old and not used by any district in Ohio.
“It's like saying P&G should pay engineers minimum wage because that's all they legally have to,” Mr. Mooney said.
For example, a savings of $494,219 would be realized by requiring substitutes to remain in the same position 45 days to receive additional compensation benefits.
“Bad idea,” Mr. Mooney said. “The market won't allow it. You're not going to get qualified replacements for $80 a day and no benefits. There's a great deal of competition for educated people.”
“Some of our collective bargaining units would probably take exception” to some of the auditor's suggested cuts, Mr. Adamowski acknowledged. “But they will guide us in our collective bargaining sessions.”
Mr. Mooney said the report contained “some good.” He agreed with the report's recommendation that the district spend more on technology in its school buildings as a way to improve efficiency.
Another $2 million to $6 million could be saved by improving efficiency in student transportation.
But the CPS administration rejected the auditor's suggestion to reduce or eliminate student transportation for magnet schools and high schools because doing so “would appear to weaken the district's ability to achieve its primary goal of improving the academic achievement of its students.”
The performance audit was part of a continuing comprehensive review of the 21 largest urban school districts in Ohio.
CPS will make its official response to the auditor's report next month.
THE UNIONS
• The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers is the largest union, representing 4,000 teachers, substitute teachers and school secretaries.
• The second-largest collec tive bargaining unit affected would be the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 1,800 school custodians, cafeteria workers and teacher assistants employed by Cincinnati Public Schools.
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