A week-long furlough for all year-round employees, a 108 percent hike in summer school fees, and the retirement of the technology director and 13 other teachers are the latest budget-saving measures at the Duneland School Corporation.

Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer announced at Monday’s school board meeting that during the last week of June, the school corporation will effectively shut down with the exception of summer school programs at Chesterton High School.

The furlough will mean that all 12-month employees, such as administrators and classified staff, will not work and won’t get paid for one week.

The furlough is among the latest in a string of cost-cutting moves in response to state funding cuts that began in January. Duneland expects to lose $1.6 million in direct state support, in addition to an estimated $3 million shortfall from the budget approved last year.

Baer said the cost savings from the furlough will be significant. Though he didn’t have a precise figure, he said about 200 employees will be involved in the furlough and will lose one week’s of pay.

Also during the summer months, the work week will be cut back to four days for classified staff, Baer announced.

The school board also accepted the retirements of 14 veteran teachers, including Director of Media and Technology Randall Eckley, a 38-year Duneland employee. The retirements now bring to 30 the number of veteran teachers who will either be replaced by teachers on the lower rung of the salary schedule or not replaced at all (See related story).

Baer said it is not yet known how many of the vacant positions will be left unfilled, since student enrollments will dictate the number of teachers needed. Eckley’s administrative position will likely be filled, he said, but the media department might be restructured by combining Eckley’s vacant position with another, in turn eliminating one position.

The Duneland School Board also approved summer school fees, which include a hike from $60 per class to $125 for the high school summer school and the middle and elementary “Jump Start” session.

Duneland Assistant Superintendent Monte Moffett said many school corporations are eliminating summer schools this year as they deal with the statewide cuts. “We’re trying to find a way to make it work,” he said.

For at least 10 years, Duneland hasn’t increased its summer school fees, but Moffett said that it has become “imperative” that the programs now pay for themselves. The new fee of $125 is expected to cover the full costs of summer school not reimbursed by the state.

In addition to the regular summer school fees, the school board also approved a driver’s education fee of $375, an increase from last year’s $350. Moffett said the new fee is still less than what private driving schools charge.

The summer school schedule is set as follows: Session I will run from June 8 to June 30 with no classes on June 18 and 25. Session II will run from July 6 to 29, with no classes on July 9, 16 and 23. The Bridges session will run from July 20 to August 13.

The middle and elementary school “Jump Start” summer school will run from July 26 to August 13, with no class on July 30.

The driver’s education sessions will be offered over various blocks throughout the summer beginning June 8.

Baer called the budget cuts a “work in progress” and said there will be more budget announcements as time goes by. He also warned that while finances are bad this year, all indications are that state funding cuts will worsen in 2011.

At the same time, though, Baer took note of outstanding student performance, in particular recognizing CHS swimmer extraordinaire Kyle Whitaker and the entire CHS swim team. He said the students’ progress continues despite funding losses.

“We will continue on .... in very, very difficult times financially,” he said.

Also Monday, the school board was treated to a presentation by Liberty Elementary School fourth graders, who, as part of a project honoring African Americans, took the role of a significant person. Dressed as the individual they were portraying, each student pretended to be a statue, until it was time for them to come alive by talking about their character and his or her contribution to society.

The students, and their roles, were: Hannah Wild as Billie Holiday, Andrew Smenyak as Satchel Paige, Makenna Crane as Fannie Lou Hamer, Quinn Conway as B.B. King, Diego Lemley as Bill Cosby, and Yasmin Brown as Florence “Flo Jo” Griffith-Joyner.

Fourth grade teacher Jason Conway said the students responded well to the project, with many immersing themselves in the roles. The project, he said, is “another example of how the kids in Duneland shine.”

In a separate presentation from LES, Principal Christy Jarka gave a slide show of the progess with the new elementary school addition. Duneland Director of Special Services Mark McKibben said construction has been proceeding well, despite the bad winter weather. The school is getting ready to advertise for the sewer line hook-up and is nearing the point where it can order playground equipment. The school board also granted permission for McKibben to seek bids for assorted school desks, chairs and other loose equipment.

The school board postponed a required public hearing on an additional appropriation related to a pension bond refinancing. Duneland’s financial consultants are recommending that the maximum amount of the bond principal be raised from $4.23 million to $4.26 million.

Posted 3/2/2010