These are difficult times.
Across the country and right here at home, employees and employers have had to contend with everything from salary freezes and reduced work hours to job cuts. Even those who have been able to retain steady employment have felt the pinch of tighter credit, a difficult housing market and rising costs for just about everything.
School districts are no different. Many school districts continue to struggle with rising costs while revenues decrease. Aid projections are uncertain, further complicating the budget process.
These difficult times call for creative solutions.
That's exactly what the Monticello, Juda and Albany school districts are attempting to do - find a workable model to offer needed services without bankrupting the hard-working folks who foot the bill.
The districts have been meeting to discuss ways to share services such as a school nurse, a psychologist and a pupil services director. Earlier this month, Monticello approved an agreement to share a pupil services director with Juda and a psychologist with Albany. The district estimates it could save $6,000 by sharing services. It is also discussing sharing a nurse with Juda, according to Superintendent Karen Ballin.
Is it ideal? Of course not. In an ideal world, each school would be able to afford full-time staff in those positions. But that just isn't financially feasible, especially with today's economic climate.
These districts are trying to make do with what they have and make smart choices to provide the very best educational environment for the youth they serve.
It won't be easy. Sharing personnel will require the districts to work closely to resolve scheduling problems. There may well be some tweaking needed as they delve deeper into the actual logistics of sharing services. And even saving $6,000 won't solve any district's budget woes.
But it's a good start, and the districts deserve praise for their efforts to start the ball rolling and work out a collaborative solution that benefits everyone. Both taxpayers and the students themselves stand to gain.
We've all made adjustments - at home, at work, in public services - in how we use the limited resources available to us. With an uncertain financial future ahead for us all, it's increasingly important to be flexible and innovative to find ways to do more with less.
That's just what Juda, Monticello and Albany are trying to do. The school districts' ad hoc committee meets again Thursday to continue discussing sharing services. We support their efforts to explore new ways to increase this collaboration.
For school districts, especially smaller ones, it just may be a road map through these difficult times and the key to their futures.
Across the country and right here at home, employees and employers have had to contend with everything from salary freezes and reduced work hours to job cuts. Even those who have been able to retain steady employment have felt the pinch of tighter credit, a difficult housing market and rising costs for just about everything.
School districts are no different. Many school districts continue to struggle with rising costs while revenues decrease. Aid projections are uncertain, further complicating the budget process.
These difficult times call for creative solutions.
That's exactly what the Monticello, Juda and Albany school districts are attempting to do - find a workable model to offer needed services without bankrupting the hard-working folks who foot the bill.
The districts have been meeting to discuss ways to share services such as a school nurse, a psychologist and a pupil services director. Earlier this month, Monticello approved an agreement to share a pupil services director with Juda and a psychologist with Albany. The district estimates it could save $6,000 by sharing services. It is also discussing sharing a nurse with Juda, according to Superintendent Karen Ballin.
Is it ideal? Of course not. In an ideal world, each school would be able to afford full-time staff in those positions. But that just isn't financially feasible, especially with today's economic climate.
These districts are trying to make do with what they have and make smart choices to provide the very best educational environment for the youth they serve.
It won't be easy. Sharing personnel will require the districts to work closely to resolve scheduling problems. There may well be some tweaking needed as they delve deeper into the actual logistics of sharing services. And even saving $6,000 won't solve any district's budget woes.
But it's a good start, and the districts deserve praise for their efforts to start the ball rolling and work out a collaborative solution that benefits everyone. Both taxpayers and the students themselves stand to gain.
We've all made adjustments - at home, at work, in public services - in how we use the limited resources available to us. With an uncertain financial future ahead for us all, it's increasingly important to be flexible and innovative to find ways to do more with less.
That's just what Juda, Monticello and Albany are trying to do. The school districts' ad hoc committee meets again Thursday to continue discussing sharing services. We support their efforts to explore new ways to increase this collaboration.
For school districts, especially smaller ones, it just may be a road map through these difficult times and the key to their futures.
