Decatur Schools Referendum - Accountablility

I don't know how I will vote on the May 6 Referendum that would increase property taxes for the benefit of the Decatur School District (MSD Decatur Township). 

I do, however, know that I resent having to make this decision.

How did we get to this point? 

Why, of course, through unrestrained, extravagant, spending by former Superintendent Don Stinson, his #1 guy, Jeff Baer, and the Decatur School Board - primarily former member Don Huffman and current members Larry Taylor, Judy Collins, Cathy Wiseman, and Dale Henson.

Most folks are aware of are all the new school facilities.  What most do not realize is that in 2002 a respected accounting firm, Umbaugh and Associates, analyzed the ability of the community to handle various debt loads.  That year the total debt stood at $25.5 Million.  They concluded that by 2010, Decatur Schools could grow the debt to $80.9 Million and the community would be in a good position to afford the taxes.  Instead, our 'trusted' leaders sank us in $266.7 Million in debt by 2009.  This is a crushing debt load - one we continue to pay dearly for to this day.  It is also the primary cause of any need for passage of the upcoming Referendum.

To pay for all the School Building projects, we were told our property taxes would rise the equivalent of a weekly meal at McDonalds.  Instead, our taxes more than doubled.  Thank goodness for the property tax caps that protected us from the full brunt of our wayward School Board.

Not content with all that rubber stamped, irresponsible spending, the School Board also went on a property buying spree. They bought the old Concentra Building (Southwest Pavilion) across Kentucky Avenue from the High School and hundreds of acres of land for which there was no immediate need.  In most instances, they did not get the two appraisals required by State Law in order to protect the taxpayers from malfeasance.  In one case they got a single appraisal and then paid 40% more for the property - another clear violation of State Law.

But, they didn't care.  Somehow the taxpayers were just the chumps at the other end of the debt.

The District took out a short term loan, usually paid back once tax money is distributed by the State.  But, they didn't pay the loan back when they got the tax proceeds.  Instead, they spent the tax money and only paid interest on the loan.  That was until the stuff hit the fan and they could no longer stay on that course.  So, they floated new debt to pay off the short term loans.

Still not content, they raised Administrator salaries with abandon.  Most Administrators saw their salaries double, the Superintendent saw his more than triple.  This caused the escalation of Administrator salaries in Marion County and Central Indiana - as the Superintendents manipulated their Boards and the situation to grow their salaries over that puny District in Decatur Township.  Every grossly exaggerated salary at the administrator level directly impacts how many teachers can be hired and thereby class size.

By 2009, Central Office expenses had ballooned to over 10% of all General Fund expenses - far outstripping other Marion County Districts.

Hyperinflated salaries weren't enough, either. 

Golden parachutes, above and beyond the tidy nest eggs the District already paid for, were devised for 5 'retiring' Administrators.  The total added up to nearly a Million Dollars.  Even today, they also either receive free health insurance or its cash equivalent until they and their spouses reach the age of 65 and qualify for Medicare.  The cash equivalent this year is over $19,000 per family.  Money that could be used better, for sure.

In the case of the loans and golden parachutes, Superintendent Stinson acted unilaterally - meaning without the approval of the Board.  Both times, when the actions were aired in public, the Board retroactively approved his actions.

I could add to this the hiring of relatives, catered meals before each Board meeting, and other small extravagances engaged in by the Board.  I could go on about the redistricting, causing the need to transport children to the opposite ends of the Township instead of to their closest elementary school, driven by the fact that poor school performance threatened the receipt of federal funds linked to 'No Child Left Behind'.

Since its peak, debt has been going down and, of all the excess property, at least the Concentra Building (Southwest Pavilion) has been sold.  Current debt load is just shy of $140 Million.  Still, this leaves our community with the highest tax rate for School debt of any District in Marion County, and much larger than our nearest neighbors in Hendricks and Morgan Counties.

Looking at abutting School Districts, the school debt tax rate for 2014 is  (dollars per $100 assessed value):

Decatur           1.4766     (1.7752 if referendum to increase by 0.2986 had been approved for this year)
Wayne            1.3787
Perry               0.5048     (0.6287 if you include tax approved by referendum)
Mooresville     0.3411
Plainfield         0.6862

Other tax rates for school debt in Marion County for 2014 are:

Franklin           1.1289
Lawrence         0.3040
Pike                  0.2700    (0.2893 if you include tax approved by referendum)
Warren             0.8858
Washington      0.1725
Beech Grove    1.4243     (1.7743 if you include tax approved by referendum)
IPS                    0.4297     (0.5087 if you include tax approved by referendum)
Speedway         0.0856

That's how we got to this point, where now the community must weigh the pros and cons of approving an additional property tax through a referendum.  Is it throwing good money after bad, or will it mend what the School Board broke?

A friend recently asked me how much the School Board members make.  I don't know the current amounts, but they generally get about $2000 per year plus a some amount for each meeting they attend - perhaps amounting to $5000 per year each.  My friend suggested that the least the Board could do is forsake any compensation for as long as they remain Board Members.  That makes a lot of sense to me.

I'd also like to see each of the four active Board members who are responsible for our financial mess, Taylor, Collins, Wiseman, and Henson, stand up in a public meeting and apologize for putting us in these straits.  How else can we be sure they will not just spend the new money with the same lack of fiscal responsibility they spent all the other money we taxpayers have sent their way.

The least they can do is have the common decency to not run for election again.

What's Behind Closing Lynwood Elementary ?

As regular readers of this blog know full well, the MSD Decatur Township Superintendent Don Stinson and his trusty Assistant Superintendent Jeff Baer, abetted by a rubber stamping School Board (notably Dale Henson, Don Huffman, Cathy Wiseman, Judy Collins and former member Larry Taylor), dug the District into a hug financial hole.

THE RECAP :

Stinson and Baer broke state laws in purchasing property, clearly overpaying in at least one instance. They broke state laws in spending millions more from District funds than appropriated by the Board. They played fast and loose with credit card receipts. And, they broke even more laws in signing a long term lease for the Mitchell Building PLUS they pay out $810,000 a year for three educational enterprises that should be self-sufficient.

Stinson has proposed a 'Fiscal Restructuring Plan' that is poorly written, inconsistent, and contains suggestions that are clearly unvetted for either possible implementation or fiscal impact. One suggestion was to pull all of the students from Lynwood Elementary and assign them to other schools in the district AND make the Intermediate School a grade 1-6 building along with the three remaining elementary schools AND move the Early Childhood Center (ECC) out of its building and into the vacated Lynwood building.

Not to be lost in the recap -- Stinson's Plan does NOT suggest the District sell off its unneeded properties, including the Southwest Pavilion Office Building (former Concentra Building). Stinson fully expects to move the Central Office crew, who will suffer very minor cuts in big paycheck Administrators under his Plan, over to the cushy confines of the Southwest Pavilion as soon as possible.

THE LYNWOOD ISSUES

The background in all of the proposals swirling around Lynwood and the ECC are these.

Lynwood has failed the provisions of No Child Left Behind for three years and Stinson fully expects a repeat this year. One of the penalties for failing NCLB for 4 years is that all of the students must be allowed to attend any other elementary school in the District.

Stephen Decatur Elementary can still accept students. Valley Mills and West Newton Elementary Schools filled up and enrollment capped a couple of years ago. Even if a new student moved in next door to one of these schools, they would be forced to attend either Stephen Decatur or Lynwood.

The ECC has a mold problem that the District has not remedied. They need to either spend money to fix that problem, or find new digs for the Kindergarten.

THE UNSTATED EFFECTS OF CLOSING LYNWOOD

Stinson's Plan to close Lynwood as an elementary school does several things that he does not mention in his Plan.

There is not enough room in the remaining elementary schools, including a converted Intermediate School, to absorb all 26 Teachers currently assigned to Lynwood. Even if he intended to keep them all on the payroll (the Plan suggests in one place that the District might be able to avoid any teacher layoffs - and in other places suggests teacher layoffs regardless) there are not the requisite number of classrooms. Therefore - and this is most important - CLASS SIZE WILL RISE.

There were 430 students enrolled at Lynwood last year (the latest information available on the State DOE's website). Given the enrollments at the other schools, one can calculate an increase of up to 26% in class size. This is the very last thing that should be done. Even though Stinson is trying to package it as an advancement in the educational practices at Decatur Schools, it clearly is not. It is the very worst thing that can happen in educational practices.

The ECC is a fairly new operation. The building was renovated from a goodly portion of the old Middle School about a decade ago. It is outfitted with diminutive hardware that matches the size of its students. The idea that the District has squandered money and spent like sailors in port on other things and neglected the mold problem at the ECC is unconscionable.

AN ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL

I have to give credit to Mike Kugelman, a former School Board member, for this idea.

Redistrict.

He's right. Redistrict to realign the enrollment and keep Lynwood open as an elementary school. Swapping all of the 1-4 graded and 5-6 graded schools to 1-6 schools is always a good thing. It is even possible to free up more space by returning the 7-8 middle school to a true 6-7-8 middle school. But, redistricting is the key component.

Poll the families whose children attend Lynwood to see how many want to take advantage of the school choice option. It may not be all that many. Then redistrict to leave as much room in every school as possible.

Money would have to be spent to clean up the mold problem at the ECC - but it is better than abandoning yet another good building to rot away as they have done with the old high school that sits just in front of the ECC.

FROM WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME ?

Stinson's Plan says that the District could avoid all teacher layoffs if the Teacher's Union agreed to a 5% cut in pay and benefits AND 17 teachers retired. My counter proposal asked for the 5% cut AND 5 teacher retirements, which is more feasible. The Union may be more inclined to accept the cut if they knew they were saving Lynwood Elementary School and keeping class sizes down.

Stinson's Plan says that closing the ECC will save $624,690 a year. Although his Plan comes up one million dollars short of the needed $9.8 million, he also must find someone to take over his long term lease of the Mitchell Building, saving $810,000 a year. Under my counter proposal, which saves the entire $9.8 million, I had suggested going along, reluctantly, with the Lynwood closing and get Ivy Tech to cover its own rent, saving $624,690 and $164,000 a year respectively.

But with the redistricting idea of Mike Kugelman, I would amend my proposal to the following. Keep Lynwood and the ECC where they are. Redistrict to free up space in all schools - even after accounting for expected transfers from Lynwood. Put forth a full court press to a) get Ivy Tech to cover its own rent in the Mitchell Building, b) get the Challenger Center finances straightened away so it pulls in revenue rather than gobbles up $380,846 a year, and c) realign the finances of the Decatur Discovery Academy so that it is self-sufficient through the Charter School funds already provided, instead of draining $265,501 a year from the rest of the District. I did not include the last two items in my counter proposal because accomplishing them relies upon Stinson's business acumen, which has proven to be non-existent. But, it is better than closing Lynwood as an elementary school, raising class size, and permanently closing the ECC building to rot. We have talented people in our Township. A small group of actual experts can be pulled together to get the Mitchell Building money pit situation squared away, as long as Stinson sits it out. When the three tenants of the Mitchell building pay their own way, as all were intended to do, then the District will save $810,000 a year - more than covering the $624,690 savings proposed for the vacation of the ECC.

THE WINNERS

This is an extremely bad financial situation that Decatur Township Schools face. By keeping Lynwood open as an elementary school, keeping class size down, and fixing the mold problem at the ECC, the STUDENTS will suffer the least in the process of fixing the financial mess Stinson, Baer, and the School Board made. That is what should matter.

The Mitchell Building Drains Funds From Decatur School District

The saga of dismal fiscal management by the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township is typified by their lease of space in the Mitchell Building in Ameriplex Industrial Park. From breaking three laws regarding the lease and renovation of the space, to the continued use of district funds for three educational enterprises who use the space, all of which should be self-sufficient, we see what happens when there is virtually no oversight of the Administration of a school district.

The Indiana State Board of Accounts audit of the Decatur School District books released on May 29, 2008 (covering finances from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2007), is a clear look at how Superintendent Don Stinson and Assistant Superintendent Jeff Baer, abetted by rubber-stamping School Board members, Don Huffman, Cathy Wiseman, Judy Collins, Larry Taylor, and Taylor's replacement, Dale Henson, ran the School District finances. I have already talked about the purchase of 4 properties during that time, without the required number of appraisals of the fair market value, clearly overpaying by 41% on one property - in violation of two aspects of state law. I have already talked about the reimbursement of credit card expenses without the proper receipts. And, I have already talked about how Stinson and Baer broke state law by spending millions of dollars more from funds than were appropriated by the School Board.

The audit released in 2008, which I again recommend all Decaturites review for themselves, speaks also to how Stinson and Baer broke state law by entering into the Mitchell Building lease contracts, broke state law by entering into a renovation agreement for the space, and broke state law by entering into a lease agreement over 10 years in term without the approval of the State Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF). In a single lease, they avoided the required review from the upper levels of government (the DLGF), and avoided the required review from the lower levels (the School Board), all in place to represent the best interests of the public and to protect the public from an overreaching or ill-informed District Administration.

Here's what the audit has to say about the Mitchell Building lease:

The School Corporation entered into a lease agreement with Mitchell Logistics Partners L.P. for the Decatur Discovery Academy. The original lease was signed by the Superintendent and was for a period of 127 months (10 years and 7 months). The School Corporation, in order to expand the Decatur Discovery Academy, paid $584,460 in 2006 for the renovation of additional office space owned by Mitchell Logistics Partners L.P. The Renovation Agreement was signed by the Assistant Superintendent of Business. The subsequent lease amendment for the expanded Decatur Discovery Academy increased the term by another 12 months and also was signed by the Assistant Superintendent of Business. No documentation was provided regarding approval by the Department of Local Government Finance for the lease to exceed a term of 10 years.

Indiana Code 20-26-4-8 states:
"Notwithstanding any other law, the president and secretary of the governing body of a school corporation are entitled, on behalf of the school corporation, to sign any contract, including employment contracts and contracts for goods and services. However, each contract must be approved by a majority of all members of the governing body. In the absence of either the president or secretary of the governing body, the vice president is entitled to sign the contracts with the officer who is present."

Indiana Code 36-1-10-5 states in part:
"Notwithstanding sections 6, 12, 16, and 17 of this chapter, the following procedure shall be followed whenever a lease does not contain an option to purchase:
(1) The term of the lease may not be longer than ten (10) years; however, a lease may be for a longer term if approved by the department of local government finance."

Indiana Code 36-1-10-10 states in part:
"(a) A lessor proposing to build, acquire, improve, remodel, or expand a structure for lease to a political subdivision or agency shall submit plans, specifications, and estimates to the leasing agent before executing a lease."

In entering into the initial 10 year 7 month lease for space in the Mitchell Building, Stinson and Baer violated two state laws -- one requiring prior approval of the DLGF and the other requiring the signature of School Board member(s) on the contract.

In entering into the $584,460 renovation agreement, Stinson and Baer violated two state laws -- one requiring the signature of School Board member(s) on all contracts and the other requiring detailed plans and cost estimates prior to signing the agreement.

In entering into the extension of the lease agreement for another 12 months, Stinson and Baer violated two state laws -- one requiring prior approval of the DLGF and the other requiring the signature of School Board member(s) on the contract.

The tenants of the Decatur School District's leased space are three enterprises that should be self-sufficient. All three are educational enterprises of which I highly approve; it is just using the District as a funding source that I strenuously object to.

First is Ivy Tech. Ivy Tech is in the business of education for a profit. Ivy Tech should be paying the rent on the space it uses in the Mitchell Building. Instead we find from Stinson's "Fiscal Restructuring Plan", that the District chips in at least $164,000 a year for Ivy Tech's space.

Second is the Challenger Center. Again, the Challenger Center was to become self-sufficient through charges for groups to use the facility. Instead, from the "Plan" we find that the District is covering at least $380,846 a year for the space and two teacher salaries.

And, third is the Decatur Discovery Academy, which is an alternative school that was created as a Charter School. Yet again, this enterprise should have been self-sufficient using Charter School funds. Instead we see that the District pays at least $265,501 a year for its space.

All together, the Mitchell Building lease exemplifies the fiscal mismanagement we see in the rest of the Decatur School District. State laws were broken to establish and extend the lease, state laws were broken to make renovations to the space, and the District is throwing over $810,000 a year at three worthwhile enterprises that should be self-sufficient. The long term lease agreement for the Mitchell Building space will run until at least 2016, draining much needed funds from the primary task of the School District - the education of Decatur's children.

Decatur School District Demonstrates Loose Accounting of Credit Card Use

I have recently noted the purchase of 4 properties by the School Board of the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township without the legally required number of appraisals, and in one instance, even with one of the two required appraisals in hand, overpaid for a property by 41%. This information came to light in a biennial audit of the School District's books by the Indiana State Board of Accounts. The one noting these illegal purchases was released on May 29, 2008,and covered the time period July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2007.

Many, many deficiencies in accounting for money flowing through the School District's hands are noted in the audit and I encourage everyone to read at least the "Audit Results and Comments" section of the report.

In this entry I want to focus on issues raised in the use of credit cards that show a long term disregard for the simplest of accounting principles - collecting receipts to show an expense was legitimate.

The audit report published in 2008 says that the credit card policy in place is inadequate.

The School Corporation is using credit cards in some instances to purchase items without an adequate approved credit card policy. A written credit card policy exits but does not specify the individuals authorized to use credit cards, the types of expenses which can be paid, and the internal control system over the credit cards.

The report notes that the same issue was raise in its two previous audits. One of these is posted online. It was published on September 20, 2006, and covers the two years from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2005. In that report is the following:

The School Corporation is using credit cards in some instances to purchase items without an adequate approved credit card policy. A written credit card policy exists, but does not specify the individuals authorized to use credit cards, the types of expenses which can be paid, and the supervision and use. The policy states that "the Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines", but guidelines have not been completed.

During both of these audit periods, Don Stinson was Superintendent and Jeff Baer was Assistant Superintendent for Business. As for School Board members, Don Huffman, Larry Taylor, Cathy Wiseman, and Judy Collins served throughout those years. Herb Bazemore served to June 30, 2006, and was replaced at that time by Dale Henson. Larry Taylor was replaced by Doug Greenwald in 2008, well after this time frame.

Getting back to the credit card issues reported in the most recent audit, published in 2008. This report keys in on travel expenses paid for by credit card. This is what the report states:

Records presented for audit included claims for travel related expenses paid for with a School Corporation credit card. Detailed documentation was not attached to the information presented for payment in all cases.

All claims, invoices, receipts and accounts payable vouchers, including those presented to the governing body for approval in accordance with IC 5-11-10, should contain adequate detailed documentation. All claims, invoices, receipts, and accounts payable vouchers regarding reimbursement for meals and expenses for individuals must have specific detailed information of the names of all individuals for whom amounts are claimed, including the nature, name and purpose of the business meeting, to enable the governing body to authorize payment. Payments which do not have proper itemization showing the business nature of the claim may be the personal obligation of the responsible official, employee or other person for whom the claim is made. (Accounting and Uniform Compliance Guidelines Manual for Indiana Public School Corporations, Chapter 9)

Each governmental unit should adopt a written travel policy in conformity with applicable statutes. (Accounting and Uniform Compliance Guidelines Manual for Indiana Public School Corporations, Chapter 9)

Reimbursement for lodging and meals should be based upon actual receipts for amounts paid unless otherwise authorized by statute. (Accounting and Uniform Compliance Guidelines Manual for Indiana Public School Corporations, Chapter 9)

Just to have stated the obvious, receipts are a basic requirement for accounting as simple proof that the expense was legitimate. For instance, School Board members have School District credit cards made available to them, should they wish to make use of them, for travel to conferences and the like. Many times spouses accompany the Board members - but the expenses of spouses are not legitimate expenses of the School District, and ultimately the Decatur taxpayers. Meal receipts would indicated multiple meals on one ticket and inquiries could be made as to whose meal was how much. It is routine for organizations of all types and even households to keep receipts as proof of the validity of expenses paid.

Since the accounting for credit card use is clearly a long standing problem for the Decatur School District, it will be very interesting to examine the audit currently underway to see if these deficiencies have been cleared up. It is asking little of Superintendent Stinson and Assistant Superintendent Baer, as well as Board members to do the most basic of accounting for how the taxpayer's money is being spent AND in such a way that we can be comfortable that it is being spent within legal bounds.

MSD Decatur Township Should Sell Excess Properties and Cut Administrators

The Mooresville-Decatur Times reported on December 9, 2009, that the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township must cut $4.2 million from its budget for fiscal year 2010, which begins in July. Superintendent Don Stinson and Assistant Superintendent Jeff Baer blew lots of smoke by blaming the crisis on temporary loans the District floated due to the reassessment ordered by Governor Mitch Daniels a couple of years ago. Did the District have to float those temporary loans? Sure it did. Is that what is breaking the bank? No way.

The crisis is brought about due to the unfettered accumulation of debt orchestrated for the District and the taxpayers by Stinson and Baer and rubber stamped by the hand-picked School Board members, Dale Henson, Don Huffman, Cathy Wiseman, Judy Collins, and former member Larry Taylor (replaced almost two years ago by Doug Greenwald). They have been on a buying spree the last 8 years. In addition to the construction projects (more on the $85 million High School project in a later entry), they pay $750,000 per year on a lease to own agreement with Ameriplex Office Partners, LP, for the purchase of the Concentra Building across Kentucky Avenue from the High School campus, bought property abutting Lynwood Elementary School, bought property abutting the Middle School, and bought a number of parcels spanning from Mooresville Road to Camby Road. Not content to live within the District's income parameters, they have also floated bonds so we could pay into their Pensions over time - with interest.

With the tax caps coming on, several changes are occurring this year. The State has taken over the entire payment for operating expenses; part of this used to be paid with property taxes. But, debt payments and transportation costs will not be paid by the state. Thus, if property tax revenues are not enough to cover debt and transportation, a District must use some of their operating funds to pay the remainder of the debt payment due. Debt must be paid first. With the property tax caps, thankfully, dropping to a cap of 1% of a home's assessed value, the property tax revenue will not be enough to make payment on Decatur School District's outstanding debt. This leads to the need for Stinson and Baer to dig deep into the Operating Funds supplied by the State to make the debt payments this year.

So is the response of Stinson and Baer to sell off property and cut back on Administrators and shut down their plans to move the Central Office over to the posh confines of the Concentra Building? Hell, no ! They blame comparatively small temporary loans and Jeff Baer announces his retirement. I mentioned in the last blog entry that they have brought mall cops in to protect the High School and to save money despite their lack of training for crises. More to be announced at the next School Board meeting. Unfortunately, the District website does not list any Board meeting dates for 2010.

In addition to the $4.2 million that needs to be cut because of the huge debt incurred by Stinson, Baer, and the rubber stamping school board members, Governor Daniels has announced a 3.5% cut in all K-12 school funds. This could amount to roughly $1.5 million more to be cut.

Here is a list of the items that should be looked at first in order to generate money and cut costs.

1) Scrap all plans to move the Administrators from the Central Office to the Concentra Building and move the technical staff to vacant rooms at the Junior High School, Lynwood or Stephan Decatur Elementary. Since they do not own the building, but are leasing to buy to the tune of $750,000 per year, they can sell their lease. They have been paying on this lease to buy for 5 years now. So, even if they have to sweeten the deal by throwing in one year's payment to a buyer, they still should be able to secure $3 million from the equity.

2) Sell the property at 4640 Sante Fe Drive. They tore down the house that used to be on the quarter acre property, causing a drop in assessed value from $83,200 to $13,800. But $13,800 is still real money that can help the cause.

3) Sell the two parcels at 5006 S. High School Road - just north of the Middle School. Combined it is almost 3 acres improved with a house and the zoning remains residential. Surely they can get $150,000 - $200,000 for the property.

4) Sell the 33 acre property at 7900 Camby Road. Farmland has been going for over $11,000 per acre. So, look for about $330,000 from that sale.

5) Sell the 73 acre property at 7820 W. Mooresville Road. At $11,000 per acre a sale would generate over $800,000.

6) Sell the 10 acre property at 7912 W. Mooresville Road - making about $110,000.

7) Sell the 41 acre property at 8106 W. Mooresville Road and get another $450,000.

8) Keep the 18 acre property at 8900 W. Mooresville Road. It was donated to the School District. Unfortunately Stinson picked a location that is mostly wetlands and the cost of development is prohibitive, making the property pretty much worthless.

Selling these properties should generate something like $4.9 million. That will go a long way is trying to make it through the year without laying off teachers.

But, there is more they can do with the Administrators. As mentioned, Jeff Baer is leaving and being replaced by Perry Township's Bob Harris, at $15,000 less salary than Baer. Rumor is that Candice Baer is also leaving. A duplicate Administrative position was created for Candice Baer, wife of Jeff Baer, when she was dismissed as Superintendent of Center Grove Schools a few years ago. That should save at least $175,000 in salary and benefits.

The District should give a pink slip to Susan Adams. Yes, the Susan Adams of Perry Township School Board fame gets an Administrator's salary to be the head custodian of Decatur Schools. She can easily be replaced with a real custodian for a savings of at least $100,000 a year. Likewise, Gary Pellico, a very likable fellow, who serves as the Public Spokesman for the District. You do not need a former Principal at a hefty Administrator's salary to communicate with the public. That would save another $100,000 a year.

Expect Dave Rather, Assistant Superintendent in charge of the building projects, to retire when the High School project is completed. Unfortunately, his salary and benefits have been coming out of the bond funds used for the project and the taxpayers will be paying his salary and benefits off, plus interest, for decades to come. No savings here.

The remaining Administrators should be asked to take at 10% cut in pay. This could save nearly half a million dollars a year. All totalled these Administrative changes could generate about $850,000 a year. Added to the funds generated by selling excess property we could see over $5.7 million this year - exactly matching the $4.2 million shortfall due to overextended debt and the $1.5 million due to the 3.5% budget cut ordered by Governor Daniels.

One more thing - no matter what, the School Board should demand that employees who live in Decatur Township should be the very last to be cut. This would mostly be the bus drivers, custodians, a couple dozen teachers, and one administrator.