Brookfield official: Following savings plan will be difficult

The recommended staff cuts could result in class sizes of 30-35 pupils.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

BROOKFIELD — The state auditor’s recommendations on how the Brookfield schools can save $1 million a year may sound simple, but Superintendent Steve Stohla said they wouldn’t be easy to implement.

Nor would the major suggestions be very popular, said Stohla, who has been superintendent since August.

Auditor Mary Taylor issued a performance audit on the school district Tuesday, based on fiscal year 2006 spending.

She said the district could potentially save more than $1 million if it implements recommendations outlined in the audit.

The major issues deal with people.

The audit suggests the district cut its 65-member regular teaching staff by 14.5 positions, saving $555,000 a year, and its special education staff of 10 by 2.9 positions, saving $110,000 more.

The custodian staff of 15 custodians/groundskeepers should be cut by three custodians, resulting in $114,000 in annual savings, the audit suggested.

Further, the audit proposed negotiating staff wages at a lower level to match statewide averages, saving about $550,000 a year.

Stohla said Brookfield could impose the staff reductions but that would result in significantly larger class sizes. Elementary classes now have under 20 children and most high school classes are in the low 20s, he said.

“No one wants to be at state minimums” in terms of staffing, he said, pointing out the size of the cuts suggested would result in classes of 30 to 35 pupils. “We have no plans to cut anybody.”

The recommendation regarding negotiated wages would require a re-negotiation of the teacher salary scale and giving them no more than a 1.5 percent pay increase annually in future years, he said.

Right now, the school board and teachers union aren’t even talking, even though the teachers have been working without a contract for more than a year, he said.

The two parties are embroiled in a legal battle over what the teachers said was a unilateral decision by the board to move them back to 2004 salary levels, and no new contract negotiations have been held since he came on board in August, Stohla said.

Brookfield already has implemented some other recommendations in the audit and is looking for other ways to control spending, he said. He pointed out that plans to replace three old buildings with one new, modern structure is expected to cut annual building maintenance costs between $200,000 and $300,000 a year.

The state also suggested that all Brookfield employees pick up at least 5 percent of their health insurance cost, a move that would save $55,000 a year.

Stohla said classified employees are already doing that and every district employee will do the same beginning in July. The district gets its insurance through the Trumbull County Consortium, which is requiring that 5 percent contribution effective with the 2008-09 fiscal year, he said.

gwin@vindy.com