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Pittsburgh school budget study finds more woe Cuts target lobbyist, health care and sports Monday, January 07, 2002 By Carmen J. Lee, Post-Gazette Education Writer
Picture Pennsylvania's second largest school district without a Harrisburg lobbyist, health care services for all medically fragile students or enough supplies for interscholastic athletic programs.
Pittsburgh Public Schools administrators' analysis of last month's amendments to the 2002 budget paints such a picture and worse for the city school district.
The deficiencies would be in addition to those identified shortly after the board's 5-4 vote Dec. 19 on the amended $485.7 million spending plan. At that time, school officials said the 45 last-minute cuts would eliminate or seriously damage district services such as administering and scoring standardized tests or replacing outdated computers.
The report, which is expected to be formally released sometime this week, fleshes out those preliminary findings. It predicts, for example, that a $950,000 cut in technology equipment means 850 outdated student computers will not be replaced. Reducing the district's testing program by $350,000 will prevent the district from testing 43 percent of the students scheduled this year, the report says.
Cuts in the testing program also could lead to a loss of $9 million in matching foundation money that is contingent upon the district producing student testing data.
The report was compiled by district finance officials who reviewed the amendments and worked with departments within the district to assess the effects of each.
School board President Jean Fink said Friday, however, that she questioned several of the report's findings. She said the report would not be presented at the board's business and finance committee meeting tonight.
According to the analysis, a $100,000 cut in professional services in the chief of staff's office will eliminate the district's contract with Chuck Kolling, its Harrisburg lobbyist.
"The district should adhere to the contract and proceed with legislative representation," the report says.
A $50,000 reduction in professional health services will affect the district's agreements with firms that provide three licensed practical nurses to work with chronically ill students and a pediatric physician to evaluate and treat youngsters ranging from the medically fragile to athletes. This cut will mean a loss of direct medical care the district is required by state and federal law to provide to students.
Funding cuts of $43,500 to elementary schools, $80,000 to middle schools and $200,000 to high schools will mean a reduction of supplies, books and materials for students, the report says.
A $230,000 reduction in interscholastic athletics will prevent the district from complying with its contract with the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers to provide athletic subsidies and reimbursements for transportation and officials.
The cuts also hinder the district's ability to provide supplies to schools for operating interscholastic athletic programs, the report says.
A $50,000 reduction in a travel line-item in the deputy superintendent's office eliminates the district's ability to cover the travel, food and accommodation expenses of examiners who evaluate city middle and high schools for accreditation.
"This process in mandated by the state and if not done our schools will lose their accreditation," according to the report.
Cutting $57,020 in professional services from the district finance department will eliminate a professional auditing contract with a firm hired to address problems that expose the district to $3.3 million tax liability risks. The cut also will reduce the amount of technical assistance the district receives during peak accounting periods.
While school employees could be reassigned to make up for lack of additional help, the report predicts the staff will be stretched to the point of not working efficiently, jeopardizing the district's tax compliance and bond rating.
According to the report, other cuts will hurt the district's ability to produce or mail brochures and other information to parents and the public, to support parent councils at schools and to replace outdated telephone equipment.
And cutting the natural gas budget from $5 million to $4.2 million "could be a problem," the report says, if severe weather, Middle East developments or financial problems of suppliers create higher rates.
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