Survey puts teachers first

WASILLA – A community survey on school budget priorities completed by 474 parents, school staff, students and others in the Mat-Su Borough recently reveals the majority would rather see cuts in administrative costs than those affecting classroom instruction and “specials” such as music, physical education, and libraries.

Posted on the Mat-Su Borough School District web site last Thursday, the survey was completed online and during budget workshops by 210 parents, 179 school staff, 18 students, 14 grandparents, 30 school volunteers and various others.

Participants were asked to respond to a variety of questions by indicating whether they “support,” “don’t support,” or have “no opinion” on the budget item.

The most definitive results showed that 84 percent wanted the district to make every effort to maintain low class size, 83 percent preferred cuts to administration before regular instruction, 82 percent wanted to keep music as a separate program at elementary schools, 79 percent wanted to keep P.E. as a separate program at elementary schools, and 76 percent wanted to keep library as a separate program at elementary schools.

Individual comments and letters from workshop and survey participants also are posted on the district’s web site, including one from a school nurse and a hand-written letter from a young student pleading with district officials to keep libraries open and staffed.

“My first reason to keep library is that some kids don’t have access to books at home, don’t have money to spare to buy books, or aren’t able to get to the public library,” the unsigned letter from a student states. “The second reason is (in my opinion) which is even more important is to have the power to read and write about different subjects, instead of playing basketball or football for fun. My third reason is without library books kids’ reading scores might be even lower then [sic] they are without reading all those different books.”

Although survey results were part of a budget power point presentation at last Wednesday night’s school board meeting by Asst. Superintendent Ken Forrest, Forrest skipped over that portion of the presentation and, instead, focused on budget figures in general, the less-than-expected number of staff who took the early retirement package, and why the district needs to take a hard look at possibly reducing nurses, librarians, music teachers, and physical education instructors to fill an estimated $3 million budget gap after the retirement figures are factored in.

Although MSBSD Superintendent Kenneth Burnley stressed during the meeting that neither the school board nor the administration wishes to cut programs and that he’s very proud of the administration’s creativity in trying to solve the budget crisis that started with an $8.9 million deficit over five years, the district still doesn’t know how much it will get from the borough and the state for next year.

Several nurses, librarians, music teachers and community members voiced their concerns and objections over the district’s budget priorities at that meeting, which also featured a discussion on the possibility of having seven-period school days on Mondays and Fridays at secondary schools.

Teachers, students, and parents said they feel that adding an additional class in the middle and high schools will increase planning and grading time for teachers and cause students to be burdened with even more homework in the evenings.

Burnley said having a seven-period school day two days each week actually might decrease the burden on some teachers and increase courses offered to students.

Many parents, teachers, union leaders, and community members also have expressed concern over the last few months over how much the district is paying its various top administrators now.

Dr. Burnley, for instance, is making about $40,000 more per year – or $180,000 – than his predecessor, and his top assistants all bring in more than $120,000 per year. The average MSBSD teacher makes $40,000-$50,000 and often devotes additional hours after school and on weekends planning lessons and grading papers.

“Why do we need so many superintendents and directors?” one frustrated community member wrote during a community budget open house at Pioneer Peak Elementary Feb. 7. “Cut, cut, cut at the District before taking from children!”

A budget work session is scheduled for March 22 at the MSBSD Central Office, followed by a 6 p.m. board meeting and budget public hearing March 23 for possibly budget approval at Palmer High School Upper Library.

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.mckee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.