District 54 Cost Savings

Jeanne Milsap has penned an informative and well-written report on cost saving measures suggested by the Citizens Finance Committee. The article includes the supporting analysis for the recommendations, and omits the personal opinions of the author.

Some of the recommendations, such as not replacing the nurse's aid and social worker, fall into the no-brainer category and should be adopted by the District 54 board. The other recommendations also merit serious consideration. $14,000 per year in health insurance benefits seems excessive given the financial condition of the district, and compared to the $4,000 spent by the Saratoga school district.

Controlling costs and living within your means requires setting priorities and making difficult and sometimes unpopular choices. That is what taxpayers have to do. We should expect no less from the school board.

I suspect the tone and content of the article would have been very different had it been written by Mike Farrell.


Look up teachers salaries

It's a start

The District 54 Board has voted (with two opposed) to eliminate one administrative position, that of Finance Director. It's about time at least one taxing body has determined to make fiscal responsibility a priority. Other taxing bodies should follow their lead. As an added bonus, the board did not consider any resolutions asking for the resignations of the dissenters.