Economy could affect school system

The new year may bring challenges to the St. Tammany Parish School System for 2009, but Superintendent Gayle Sloan said the system is ready to meet them.

With sales tax collections in St. Tammany down 9 percent over last year, Sloan is concerned about the economic impact that dwindling revenue may have on the school system.

“Like everyone else, we are belt-tightening, trying to become more efficient and maximizing the funding we currently have,” said Sloan. “We want to be fiscally responsible and still build upon what we have and not let a lack of funding detour us too much.”

Sloan said that the impact of the national and state economic woes has not quite trickled down to the local school system and to K-12 budgets in the state, but the school system is already cutting back to maximize current funding and be as fiscally responsible as possible. For example, no one-time revenue income is being spent on recurring expenses, said Sloan.

Added to the sales tax revenue concerns is concern over property tax revenues, that provides a portion of the school system’s revenue. The dollar figures collected from property taxes may not be known for a few months. Even worse, some homeowners may not be able to pay the assessed amounts that have caused such a furor in the parish.

The system is sensitive to the economic needs of constituents, but Sloan said the priority of the school system is still the classroom. No cuts are planned at this time in the classroom or in projects being funded by the 2008 bond issue.

“We are hitting the ground running and don’t want to lose the momentum we have achieved,” said Sloan. She added that bond issue construction is continuing. “We also want to continue with technology and professional development in technology as well.”

The school system is not considering cuts in classroom personnel or projects funded through the 2008 bond issue and will do what they can to prevent cuts.

However, some positions are being evaluated when personnel leave. The reduction in force through attrition is strictly on a case-by-case basis and not in the classroom. As some personnel leave, they may not be replaced, depending upon what their particular duties involve, explained Sloan.

Other goals for the school system is to continue to provide support and guidance for those students due to graduate in May that have not yet passed the GEE, Graduate Exit Exam. Last year, only six students failed to graduate solely because they could not successfully pass the exam. Sloan’s goal for the parish is that all students pass the test successfully.

“Part of the challenge this year is that the state has changed the testing schedule. The final opportunity for seniors to pass the test and participate in graduation ceremonies in May will be in February,” said Sloan. The school system is monitoring students that need help in order to help them get ready for the test so they can pass the GEE and participate in graduation, she said.

Programs that Sloan would like to see instituted include one that would help students understand personal finances and how to handle money. Some students are unprepared for the realities they must face with things such as credit cards and deductions from paychecks. She said that while there are some program offerings in courses such as free enterprise II, her goal would be to include such life lessons earlier in the educational process.

The Learning Park, also known as University Square, is still in the school system’s plans. The school system’s portion of the park was included in the 2008 bond issue passed last March. In addition to the advanced courses that will be offered, the vocational-technical offerings will provide other kinds of opportunities for students in the parish.

“We are fortunate that Gov. Jindal shares priorities with us and has a focus on careers, vo-tech training and workforce development,” Sloan said.

Overall, the system is preparing for future challenges come by adjusting expenditures when necessary but keeping students’ needs as the main priority.