Mo Budget Bits

A follow-up from yesterday's post on the budget cuts downtown apparently not being as severe.

Today's News & Record:

When the budget woes were first announced, Green ordered an immediate hiring freeze for all positions. He amended that Wednesday to all noninstructional positions with exceptions for his top staff positions. Green has recently come under fire from the public for hiring a chief of staff and creating a position for the current chief of staff - chief administrative officer - during the budget cuts.

Green also froze about 25 percent of the money allocated to the schools for instructional supplies, which pay for in-class items like paper and pencils. Some of that money since has been released to cover supply shortages at three schools.

The system also will eliminate overtime beginning Jan. 1, replacing it with compensatory time. Travel expenses also will be cut back and monitored, and some contracted services will be delayed.

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Let's break this down for a moment:

1. A hiring freeze for all non-instructional staff. Yet, the front office continues to be way too top-heavy. Instead of hiring PR honchos, I would have liked to see an ombudsman added or even an inspector general to kill the waste within GCS.

Wishful thinking.

2. The dreaded supply budget. So this budget was frozen. Big mistake people.

With Brian Ewing reporting that supply shortages exist at three schools and some of that money had to be released to cover those shortages (and it is not even the second semester), it suggests that this budget needs to be audited...urgently! I continue to call for a public audit of this budget; why are these supplies not getting into these schools? And we need to find out which three schools these were.

There is a big problem somewhere, and this is continuous.

3. Travel expenses cut back and monitored. This should have been ongoing. Oh, I'm sorry...I forgot...Dot Kearns was on the Board for over 20 years, and was the queen of lavish trips at your expense.

Some contracted services delayed? Which are those? How many contracted services does GCS have? Sounds like it's time for an audit of these services.

Green declined to give details, the N&R reports. Mr. Green, you're not getting off to a good start if you're not open. We need to know these details, because in the long run, it affects the lives of children.

And I hope some of our Board members are paying attention to this post and will respond appropriately.

E.C. :)