Tulsa schools forced to make cuts in budget

Larry Levy
State Correspondent
The Daily Oklahoman

Faced with a revenue shortfall of $ 6.3 million for the coming school year, the Tulsa School Board instituted several cuts Monday night, such as reducing pay for substitute teachers and delaying the start of the school year.

The proposals were part of a plan outlined publicly last week by Superintendent David Sawyer. Implementing all the proposed cuts would shave about $ 133 in per-pupil costs for the school year. Delaying the start of the school year from Aug. 19 to Sept. 3 and tacking those days to the end of the school year will save about $ 200,000. Utility bills for the last days of August are higher than during the latter days of May or early June, district spokeswoman Barbara Everage said.

Even with the delay in the school year, the district's fall sports activities will not be affected.

Board members also voted to eliminate year-round classes at 11 schools. That should save the district $ 600,000 in utility costs and in payroll for support staff such as cafeteria workers and bus operators.

The board also reduced the pay of substitute teachers. Pay of certified substitute teachers will be reduced from about $ 90 per day to $ 70, the same rate for neighboring districts in the county, Everage said.

"We were flooded with substitutes when we went to $ 90," she said.

Pay for substitutes without certificates will be cut from $ 70 per day to $ 65. The savings are estimated at $ 365,000.

Board members also voted to increase class sizes from about 20 per class to 21. By taking that action, the district will not have to hire teachers to fill vacancies.

Tulsa has the state's biggest school district, with 47,500 students and more than 3,600 teachers spread over 82 sites.

Board members said a proposal to save about $ 200,000 in utility bills under a mandatory energy conservation plan could be handled administratively.

They said administrators also could implement a proposal to assign central administrators to teaching or other jobs in schools. Many, Everage said, are coordinators in specific fields such as science; some are qualified to return to the classroom.

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