Poland schools and others: Follow Boardman's example

Poland school teachers have turned down on a three-year contract with the district, thus forcing both sides back to the bargaining table. And though the terms of the pact rejected by the Poland Education Association have not been made public, we have to wonder if the teachers paid any attention to a front page story in the Nov. 9 edition of The Vindicator.
What made the story so compelling wasn't simply the fact that by 2008 just about every school district in Mahoning County will be swimming in red ink. It was the presence of such academic powerhouses as Poland and Canfield on the "deficit" list that prompted a closer look.
Near the top
Indeed, of the 13 districts, Poland was second -- in the size of its projected budget deficit in the 2007-08 school year. The $10.9 million was higher than even Youngstown's, which not too long ago was on the verge of fiscal collapse.
Austintown tops the list with $24.05 million in anticipated red ink by 2008.
And lest anyone think that the school districts are simply playing games with the numbers to force concessions from the employees, it is worth noting that the five-year financial forecasts are required by the state.
There are only two ways to erase a budget deficit: Cut expenditures; increase revenue.
And there is only one way to increase revenue: Raise taxes. Any school district waiting for a major boost in state funding will be waiting a long time. As for the federal government, the money will be even more difficult to secure in the next several years, given the exploding federal budget deficit as a result of the war in Iraq.
The Nov. 4 general election contained a stern warning from the voters for schools districts in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties: The days of automatic approval of levies are over.
Grouchy taxpayers
As we noted in an editorial that focused on the large number of school tax requests that were turned down, taxpayers are in a decidedly grouchy mood when it comes to giving government more money.
The contention of the taxpayers is that since personnel costs command about 80 percent of public sector spending, sacrifices have got to be made by those on the public payrolls.
In Poland, the teachers union would do well to pay close attention to that message -- especially in light of the fact that the district is facing a $452,308 shortfall for the 2004-05 school year.
It is noteworthy that there is one academically excellent school district not on the budget-deficit list. Boardman is projecting a stable economic future because of the three-year contract that was recently signed. The Boardman Education Association agreed to a wage freeze in the first year, a 2.5 percent increase in the second, and a 2.9 percent increase in the third. The teachers also agreed to switch to a PPO health plan in the first year, with premium copayments in the second and third years.
"We're the first system in the area to develop such a contract," long-time board member Mark Huberman said recently.
It would behoove all the districts that are bracing for tough economic times to follow Boardman's lead.