Story by guest columnist Andy McDonald
In an emotionally charged Berea Independent School Board meeting Monday, parents and teachers expressed outrage at a $1.3 million budget shortfall that has resulted in the dismissal of several staffers and instructors.
Overall, the district has identified 34 staff, administration and faculty positions that will be either phased out or reassigned to different slots in Berea independent schools. Yesterday afternoon, Berea Community employees were called to the district office and notified they would not be retained next year, according to one parent.
“How the teachers were pink-slipped today, it was like The Hunger Games at school. Who’s going to be called to walk across the parking lot to sign their pink slip? That could have been done with more dignity and respect,” said Ashley Hammond.
Berea Independent School District Superintendent Diane Hatchett reported that eight district positions were eliminated, while the staff of the elementary school was reduced by 10 positions, the middle school by 5.5, and the high school by 8.5 staff slots. The preschool was reduced to one class, down from three. Special education instruction staff was also cut. The aim is to reduce district expenditures in personnel by $1.27 million, Hatchett said.
Additionally, Hatchett and Finance Director Nathan Sweet said other austerity measures will be implemented, including tightening spending limits, reduction of student transportation costs, pausing technology purchases for two years, freezing hiring, and eliminating some middle school athletic teams, combining them with high school teams, among other measures. Assistant coaching positions will also be cut. Some extracurricular activities will be discontinued as well, such as the school’s engineering program and the award-winning Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program.
Hatchett explained that some teachers may be called back into service next year, depending on available slots. One bright spot, according to Hatchett, is that the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is allowing the district to implement its own recovery plan.
“They could have come in here, if they wanted to, and taken us over and not blinked an eye,” Hatchett said of the KDE. “They could have gotten rid of all the principals, [allowed] one principal for the whole school, no guidance counselors, no band, no music, no art, nothing. But instead, right now, they are letting us go with this plan. We’re trying to save as many jobs as possible.”
Hatchett concluded with an apology. “I’m sorry. There’s really no words to say. We love this district and we want to keep it open.”
Several parents and teachers expressed frustration that their friends and colleagues were dismissed that afternoon. Some parents even questioned whether they can keep their children in Berea community schools.
Berea alumna and parent Hannah King faulted Hatchett for what she said was $40,000 in excess travel expenditures, including conference trips to California, Florida and Georgia.
“The severe budget issues did not happen overnight. It is clearly a lack of proper oversight. Most concerning is the superintendent’s spending and her failed leadership, which has gotten us into significant financial challenges,” King said.
With that, King called on the board to remove Hatchett immediately.
“I’m sorry if I hurt any feelings, but I’m really sorry that we trusted you, that you took advantage of our school, that you put my friends’ jobs in jeopardy, and that my children’s education is going to suffer. I have to consider if I’m going to leave them here next year,” King concluded.
Site Based Decision Making (SBDM) council member and parent Rashida Richardson echoed those sentiments, calling on Hatchett to resign.
“I don’t have faith in this school right now, and I don’t have faith in the board,” said Richardson. “$40,000 for trips? Really, Diane? Come on now. It’s getting ridiculous. We need better representation in this school and you were supposed to be that, and you’re not.”
Hatchett did not address the comments, listening stoically while parents aired their concerns, though one parent, Kimberly Dillon, expressed support for Hatchett and vowed to pitch in to support the school.
“Dr. Hatchett, I feel like you’ve gotten a lot of heat today. You don’t deserve all that heat,” Dillon said. “I feel like we need to, as parents, be part of the community.”
Meanwhile, several teachers questioned how the faculty can meet education standards when so many positions are being cut. For example, the high school science department is now down to one instructor, as is the high school English department.
In an email to parents sent last week, one of the reasons stated for the budget shortfall is a “misaligned budget,” leaving some to question what that means.
“Our board has failed us. Our superintendent has failed us. $1.3 million? Misaligned? That is a failure. We can’t trust you to make a new budget. You need to leave it in the hands of families, teachers and the staff to do this budget,” said parent Andrea Woodward.
Some parents called on board members to apologize for the current budget crisis, and the most recently installed members shouldered the blame with their colleagues.
Sarah Rohrer, who didn’t take office until last November, was unequivocal.
“Someone helpfully pointed out that financial oversight is the role of the superintendent, the school board, alongside the financial officer, and we did not succeed,” Rohrer said. “And for that, I will apologize, because that is what has brought us here, and that’s what made today hard.”
Rohrer later added: “The people who are affected are not the people who got us here.”
Tom McCay, a long-serving board member whose family members attend the school, said he is committed to correcting the problems, but he emphasized the board can only do so much.
“I don’t know where the ship didn’t go right, or the railroad ran off, but we’re going to make it right,” McCay said.
When someone in the audience responded, “That’s your job!” McCay replied:
“I’m only one of five, okay? We on the board do the best that we can. We only get so much information. I’m only here one night a month,” McCay said.
J. Morgan, who attended his first meeting in January and was immediately appointed chair, vowed to provide answers to audience questions at the next meeting, and to find a way out of the crisis.
“I promise you we’re going to come up with a better solution, and we’re going to do better in the future,” Morgan told the audience. He also said he agreed with calls to make budget preparation more transparent and participatory.
As for what lies ahead, Morgan stated:
“It really is back and forth with KDE about whether this plan gets us to a place of fiscal health. Fiscal health means that our students are getting the best possible school education. I will say students are first, teachers are second, and the school district is third. And if I can get kids the best education in Madison County, and we can make sure that teachers are taken care of, then I’d love to save the school. That’s the overriding imperative – the kids first, then we’ll see where we go from there.”
The board will meet again on March 31 in a special called meeting to determine the fate of the school’s solar power project.
