Jobs raise budget concerns

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In the midst of discussing job descriptions, some St. Landry Parish School Board members raised budget concerns.
The job descriptions were discussed at a personnel committee meeting Wednesday. The other jobs were two contract positions.
Hazel Sias, an Opelousas board member, said, “We are constantly hiring. We talked about cutting back, but instead of cutting back now we have an opportunity.”
The issue arose as the committee discussed a job description for a migrant recruiter/homeless advocate/ foster care point of contact.
The 12-month position would be federally funded.
Scott Champagne, Title I director, said the migrant positions should be full-time in order for the district to qualify for the federal funding.
Sias said urged Superintendent Patrick Jenkins to look at hiring someone already employed by the district for the migrant recruiter job, then not fill that person’s job.
Jenkins said he had discussed the job with someone outside the district, but eventually agreed with Sias that an internal hire could end up saving the system money.
Sias, “We are contantly hiring and next year we will have a cut in MFP monies. We have two charter schools that are coming. If they are approved that is going to take money from the system and we need to stop. If we don’t stop we are going to be going back to the same thing we had to do a few years ago.”
Sias was referring to the school system undergoing severe staffing reductions.
Albert Hayes Jr., a Eunice board member, agreed with Sias about hiring someone from within the district, then eliminating that person’s former job.
Mary Ellen Donatto, another Eunice board member, said it was obvious the district needs to fill the position, but also urged the school system should lose the position paid from the general fund.
Jenkins said, “I can assure you without any doubt there have been at least four positions recently that I haven’t filled. There are some possible in the near future that we won’t fill.”
Jenkins said he meets with Tressa Miller, finance director, on a daily basis.
“I’m very conscious of the budget,” he said.
Sias said the board needs more information about the budget.
“We are sitting up here in the dark about a lot of things,” she said.
Raymond Cassimere, an Opelousas board member, said he trusted Jenkins, but board members “got to have something in our hands.”
Donatto said the board approved Jenkins’ organizational chart in January that stated it would result in $139,000 in savings.
Donatto asked Jenkins to attach salary information as the chart fills and with job descriptions.
Jenkins replied, “Can I just ask this. Instead of giving a specific salary for a particular position, can we have a range instead ...”
Jenkins added, “They can make a record request if they want that, however, I wouldn’t want to disclose a particular person’s salary.”
Donatto asked for clarity from the supertendent.
“Flying blind with a $140 million budget is .. not a comfortable setting to be in,” she said.
Sias pointed out the migrant recruiter salary range is not included in the job description.
Matthew Scruggins, personnel director, said the range for someone with an associate degree would be $27,532 with non experience to $32,535 after 20 years.
Someone with bachelor’s degree with no experience would be paid $34,791 and after 20 years the pay would top out at $43,791.