School positions shift

The employee ranks of the St. Mary Parish school system shifted slightly during the school board’s budget workshop Tuesday.
Four teaching positions and two special education paraprofessionals were eliminated through attrition and a technology clerical position was eliminated. Meanwhile, five English as a Second Language paraprofessionals and two technology positions were created.
The eliminated positions saved the board $323,508, while the created positions cost $234,000.
The ESL paraprofessionals were hired as long-term substitutes at a cost of $130,000 for the year. In the 2011-12 school year, 307 ESL students in St. Mary Parish were assisted by their paraprofessional translators. The number of students grew to 366 in 2012-13 and to 493 in 2013-14, according to information submitted during the budget workshop.
An additional repair technician for technology was added, along with a technological instructional staff member. It would be that person’s job to train teachers in new technology such as how to utilize the LearnPads (computer tablets) in the classroom.
The positions were part of an $82.29 million general fund budget that is anticipated to run a $3.38 million deficit. The board has an $18.68 million projected fund balance to cover the deficit, $10.9 million of which is not set aside for other purposes.
Information presented by Chief Financial Officer Alton Perry indicates an expected $1.3 million drop in the Minimum Foundation Program money the school system receives from the state. Perry said St. Mary Parish is being penalized under the complicated funding formula because of the “local wealth effort,” meaning the amount of taxes it collects annually from its citizens.
Increases in the district’s portion of retirement contributions, from 27.2 percent to 28 percent for teachers and 32.3 percent to 33 percent for other school employees cost the district an additional $360,000 combined.
A decrease in the bus operational allowance of $75,000 and $25,000 in the professional and staff development budget were attributed to trimming the excess from accounts that don’t need it, Perry said.
Other items of note included funding for:
—A 3 percent stipend for elementary principals with student populations in excess of 500 students. The move affected three schools at a cost of $6,110.
—Increases in funds for ACT testing by schools and Advanced Placement testing of $15,000 each and $21,000 to support high school ACT and EOC readiness training for students.
—Contracting for $12,000 with LA K9 Drug Detection Services to sweep the schools across the parish for the coming school year. Despite payments to assist with the purchase of local police agencies’ drug dogs, the school system has not had access to them, Superintendent Donald Aguillard said.
—Purchase of COPsync service for $43,320 for one year. The software would essentially place a panic button on the computer desktop of every teacher in the parish. The button connects both to the principal and to 911 in an emergency.
—Retrofitting of one-third of the buses in the parish with a new video camera system at a cost of $41,666. The project will be completed over three years.