Norwin may make teacher cuts to help balance budget

Norwin school board members continued the debate this week about how to cover a $3 million 2022-23 budget shortfall without raising taxes.

The district may eliminate full-day kindergarten classes and six teaching positions, including five at the elementary level, to cuts costs. Five proposed new teaching positions, and a proposed anti-bullying program, also would be eliminated if the budget is approved as presented.

During a marathon meeting Monday, the board agreed to consider a proposed budget that doesn’t include a property tax increase.

But the board couldn’t come to an agreement on how it would cover the $3 million shortfall in a budget that projects expenditures of about $81 million, and revenue of only $78 million.

That answer, and whether other programs and teaching positions will be cut for the next school year, may come when the board meets at 7 p.m. June 6, for what could be the approval of a final budget.

A consensus of sorts on the spending plan was not reached until more than five hours after Monday’s meeting started.

Nearly 50 speakers addressed the board over a three hour period. Most of them said they would favor raising taxes to preserve teaching positions and programs.

A video of the meeting is available here:

Superintendent Jeff Taylor and Director Shawna Ilagan engaged in a shouting match regarding information on the budget. Director Bob Wayman promised that none of the teachers would lose their jobs in the program cuts. Director Alex Detschelt accused Taylor of sending a “disingenuous” email last week outlining the proposed budget cuts, and Detschelt also placed a box in front of him to collect money from those willing to pay higher taxes.

The most impassioned comments came from those who opposed eliminating one full-day kindergarten class at each of the district’s four elementary schools. It would result in cutting two kindergarten teachers, which would save about $200,000. The district would then have one full-day kindergarten class and two teachers instructing morning and afternoon classes in each of its buildings. A proposal to eliminate three other elementary teaching positions could save $300,000.

Nicole Cole, a kindergarten teacher at Stewartsville Elementary School, said the elimination of one full-day kindergarten class at each of the buildings would result in more students with greater needs being put into one class, and would reduce the time a teacher can work with those students.

Eliminating all-day kindergarten will not help some students reach grade level and will impact them in future years, said former board member Rebecca Gediminskas.

Former board president Robert Perkins, who served the district for 20 years, said he has been disheartened by proposals to cut kindergarten classes.

“Political beliefs should not enter into your decisions,” Perkins said, presumably referring to three Republicans — Detschelt, Ilagan and Christine Baverso — who promised not to raise taxes during their 2021 election campaigns.

Baverso said she was conflicted about how to vote because of the proposed cuts.

The proposed budget would eliminate hiring two counselors at the elementary level, leaving two counselors for four buildings. In the four elementary schools, there is only one counselor for 1,000 students, Cole said.

Former director Albert Lynn, father of board member Patrick Lynn and Norwin Education Association President Ryan Lynn, said a cut in the technology instruction department would hurt students interested in that field.

Norwin technology director Edward Crist said eliminating the instructional technology support person would adversely impact teachers who use technology to educate the students.

“It will degrade our ability to support the teachers,” Crist said.

Another former board member, Tracey Czajkowski, urged the board to consider the needs of the community and “not just your voters.”

“You are servant leaders,” Czajkowski said.

Dan Scifo of North Huntingdon questioned how the district found itself with a budget shortfall that at one time reached $4.1 million, while neighboring school districts such as Hempfield Area and Penn-Trafford have been able to balance their budgets.

Scifo said he disagreed with all of the proposed budget cuts and told the board to “raise my taxes to the limit.”

If the proposed budget doesn’t change, the tax rate would remain at 84.8 mills in North Huntingdon, North Irwin and Irwin; and at 12.72 mills for 18 properties in a sliver of White Oak and South Versailles that are in the Allegheny County portion of the district.