With Helena-West Helena School District’s downward spiral in student enrollment has come to bear as the H-HW Board made “hard decisions” Monday night affecting personnel employment.
During a protracted hearing portion of the regular monthly meeting Monday night, the board voted to trim the contracts for two vocational-education teachers, reduce and freeze the salary for a long-time teacher’s aide and terminate a cafeteria employee.
The salary was reduced from approximately $20,000 to $18,600 for Orlena Hill, an 18-year teacher’s aide, after the board labored through three motions.
Supt. Rudolph Howard said the loss of federal funding for STARS; the district incurred a significant loss of revenue. Howard said the $25,160 salary she was receiving two years ago “blew the top off the state teacher’s aide schedule.” The superintendent said Hill’s salary was approximately $10,000 above other teacher’s aide pay.
Moreover, Howard said the district lost significant revenue with the loss of STARS, the federally funded alternative class program.
Howard said the district experienced “low morale” as a result of “unfairness in salaries and positions.”
Howard said the board could have legally cut Hill’s salary back to the $15,000 range to put it in line with other teachers’ aides.
Jim Banks of West Memphis, an Arkansas Education Association representative and counsel for Hill, said that proposed salary cut would be “abominable” and the cuts were “blatantly unfair.”
Banks said Hill had gradually gained more experience and was serving as lab manager at Central High School. Howard noted that Hill was not certified in the roles of register, counselor and lab manager.
Banks said Hill received the letter about the change in her salary scale belatedly.
Board member Rayne Gordon persisted in asking Hill if her salary had been $10,000 above that of other teacher’s aides.
Hill, who said her salary was $6,500 when she started working for the district in 1990, told Gordon she was not aware that her pay was $10,000 more than the usual teacher’s aide.
Board member Larry Wilson asked Hill how she could expect to be paid that kind of salary without additional duties.
To that, Hill replied, “It’s not my fault.”
Wilson asked Hill why she did not approach the board before the 2007-08 school year.
Hill pointed out with the state takeover of the district due to “fiscal distress” the board was powerless.
Gordon said the board members were still available for discussion regardless of that frozen status. Howard was brought in as superintendent as part of the state overhaul of the “fiscally distressed” district.
Board attorney Ken Rubens of West Memphis said in accordance with the state’s Teacher Fair Dismissal Act Hill had the right to contest the pay reduction.
“She chose not to do anything about this,” Rubens said. Citing the waiver rule of law, Rubens said Hill had “waived her right” to file a grievance. He told Hill she was aware in her contract that she was entitled to AEA representation.
Banks offered as a counter proposal that the board bring every teacher’s aide salary up to Hill’s level.
The Rev. Jarvis Smith, a board member, entered a motion that Hill’s salary be frozen until she completed her certification.
That motion failed 4-3. Smith, Tommy Stephens and Constance Jarrett voted in favor of the proposal while Wilson, Gordon, Paula Oliver and Board President C.W. Walker rejected it.
A second motion likewise died with a 3-3-1 vote. Walker, Gordon and Oliver cast yes votes; Wilson, Jarrett and Stephens voted for the proposal and Smith abstained.
A proposal by Oliver to reduce Hill’s salary to $18,600 for working a 185-day schedule during 2008-09 and freeze the pay passed 5-2 with Jarrett and Wilson voting no.
The board cut the contracts of Larry Prowell, a career orientation teacher at Eliza Miller Junior High School, and Mike Funk, a vocational-education shop teacher, from 205 days to 200 days effective with the 2008-09 school year.
Funk did not raise any objections to the contract reduction, while West Memphis attorney Jim Banks represented Prowell.
Howard told the board the administration was “justified” in making reductions based on continuing decline in student enrollment coupled with lost revenue. Howard said the district has 323 employees.
“We asked our department managers to trim their budgets,” Howard said.
Banks argued that Prowell appeared to be singled out.
“Were all the employees’ contracts cut?” Banks asked. Rhetorically knowing the answer, Banks said, “All should share in the cuts.”
Howard said the administration had to “look at where the excess exists” in order to balance the district’s expenditures, which included food services.
Board attorney Kent Rubens said one of the district’s goals was to maintain a high standard of education while keeping the departments fiscally sound.
Prowell said his workload included testing to determine weaknesses and computer class time.
Howard said Prowell had “enough time two weeks ahead of others (certified teachers) to get that down...I submit that you have time to do them.”
Walker said Prowell’s student roll is smaller than those for regular classroom teachers.
Deputy Supt. Roy Bridges looked at the personnel roster and found that Prowell had 50 students during the 2007-08-fall semester and 43 during the spring term. Meanwhile, Bridges said, most regular classroom teachers have as many as “150 students in the classes.” Bridges said one English teacher had 16 students last year — 90 during the fall term and 76 in the spring semester.
Bridges said the district had 190 regular classroom teachers.
Banks contended that reducing Prowell’s days would make his work “less efficient.”
To that, Howard replied: “I have looked at all of that.” The superintendent said Prowell’s responsibilities” are not the same as they were 20 years ago.”
Smith said Prowell needed “the time for paper work.”
Rubens said the Arkansas Legislature set the 190-day standard contract. He said salaries for 14 employees were cut approximately $3,000.
Banks said the $42,000 aggregate pay cuts amounted to “less than one percent of the (district’s) $5 million budget.”
Citing continuing attrition in student enrollment, Board member Rayne Gordon proposed that the panel follow Howard’s recommendation. Board member Paula Oliver seconded Gordon’s motion.
The issue carried 6-0-1 with board member Tommy Stephens abstaining.
Board member Larry Wilson concurred with Gordon’s analysis. Board member Constance Jarrett asked Howard to continue to closely monitor the budget.
The last-hired, first-hired principle of management caught Ferylica Kirkland, a cafeteria worker for the 9-10 grade students at Helena-West Helena High School.
Meeting with the board without benefit of an attorney, Kirkland said she had worked nine and a half years at Isle of Capri Casino (formerly Lady Luck) before being contacted about working for the school district.
Phyllis Jones, a cafeteria supervisor, told the board, “I took the person with the lowest seniority” as part of the district’s reduction in force directive.
“I disagree,” Kirkland said of the termination. “I decided to take the job at a pay cut.”
Reading Kirkland’s employment contract, Rubens said, “There is nothing in the contract that grants her employment beyond one year.” Teachers and other school district employees sign one-year contracts that are subject to review by the board before the start of each school year.
Rubens said the board has full authority to “hire or fire” an employee. “This school board is not liable.”
“Dr. Howard can’t fire a person. He can recommend (hiring or firing),” Rubens said.
After the board returned from executive session shortly after 11 p.m., Howard said the administration and board collectively have to make “hard decisions” in light of the district’s $300,000 budget deficit.
“What we have done is appropriate,” Howard said.
Howard said the administration would “look in other departments to find a position” for Kirkland and if a job comes available she would be offered re-employment.
The board voted 7-0 on that action.