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Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > June > 02 > Entry
Renting out Ludlow II part of district savings plan
Mack and Lucas
In response to a consultant’s study of the city school district’s business and education operations, Superintendent Percy Mack launched a plan Monday to make money-saving changes.
The study was commissioned by a committee of business and community leaders seeking to help the district reduce costs so it can ask for a smaller levy this November than the 15.17-mill levy that was defeated in 2007.
Mack said the district must recognize that the local economy is troubled.
“People don’t have discretionary money,” he said. “Even if they wanted to, they don’t have discretionary money to give. We have to work hard to get the levy down as low as possible.”
Among the cost-saving measures targeted in Mack’s plan was leasing out one of two downtown office buildings the district purchased from Reynolds and Reynolds in 2003 for $15.5 million and consolidating administrative offices in the other building.
Treasurer Stan Lucas said circumstances have changed since the 2003 purchase, including last year’s $30 million cuts and more than 400 layoffs in the wake of the levy defeat. But he still believes buying the Reynolds buildings was the right move.
“At the time, we made the best decision for the district,” he said. “We didn’t know in 2003 there would be such a cut back. It was the right thing to do then and this is the right thing to do now — try to maximize the use of the facilities.”
Mack’s plan also includes:
—Busing. To ride a school bus, students currently must live at least 1.5 miles from school. That perimeter will be extended to 2 miles. A new committee will review transportation operations to identify other cost savings.
—Nutrition. A consultant will review nutrition operations in search of savings.
—Facilities. The district will conduct a review of warehouse space and a committee from business operations, human resources and the legal department will have recommendations by month’s end on union contract changes that could bring savings.
—Budget. A new financial oversight committee will include the treasurer, assistant treasurer, chief operating officer, chief academic officer, audit committee members, the executive director of human resources and business community volunteers.
—Education services. The Council of Great City Schools will send consultants for a comprehensive review of special education and early childhood programs. A new team will monitor teacher training and the district’s data staff will visit every school next year to help principals use data better. Also, the district will explore pay-for-performance plans.
Permalink | Comments (29) | Post your comment | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By Keeping Up
June 8, 2008 10:05 PM | Link to this
Avoice, you are entirely correct about the coach/specialist positions. If these folks would actually work directly with the students rather than wasting time going into classrooms to work with teachers who do not want them there, they just might effect some positive change. Also, principals need to stop using these people as assistants and instead make sure they do what they are suppose to do. With the new laws going into effect this July 1st maybe this will happen. As for the other comments you refer to I have read them and responded to them. Much of what is written here is true and is monies directed in the wrong places. As a district employee I too have been scalded by the cutbacks. I now work at least 10 extra hours a week trying to do more with less. I have never been so stressed out and exhausted but the kids must come first. What is sad is when their own folks don’t agree.By Avoice
June 8, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
You bet I am angry. DPS taxpayers have a right to be very angry. Thank you for the clarification on Gail Mitchell. On other matters have you read previous bloggers? Check out “Previous Employee” or “Old Teach.” The fact is DPS has been cutting teachers that actually teach students. Read the multiple posts by other former and current DPS teachers that have spoken to this. I will not bother with the debate over the usefulness of the coach/specialist issue. It has been debated here before. Ask teachers that are teaching, not administrators. The truth comes down at the classroom, not at Ludlow. As far as keeping up, well, most of us are trying to keep our jobs and homes.By Keeping Up
June 8, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this
A voice, you sure sound angry, don’t know your situation, maybe you have a right to be. FYI, Gail Mitchell is leaving. The high school positions to which you refer are grant funded positions and are in keeping aligned with some new laws going into effect July 1, 2008. Why don’t you google RTI (Response to Intervention) and the Ohio Instructional Service Delivery Model. If you are a teacher this will certainly affect you.By Avoice
June 8, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
Cuts? So what does the Superintendent of Humanities do this year? Gail Mitchell is leaving?I guess the High School Curriculum Instruction Intervention Coaches that are advertised are just renaming poitions too? If you have been following the blog over the past year you would see that it has been a shell game. We do not really cut things, we just re-name them and change titles. My mistake, we do cut teachers that actually work with students.By Teri
June 7, 2008 8:33 PM | Link to this
The Assoc. Super of Humanities is just the renaming of the person in charge of the district’s social studies, English/language arts and foreign languages departments. This may be a cost saving - one person overseeing three departments. Don’t know how well she is doing it … Same thing happened with math and science - DPS has had one person in charge of math and science for the last couple of years. His title recently changed to Assoc. Super. of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). He is is actually doing a fairly decent job (under the circumstances).By Calm Down
June 6, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this
Avoice, the position to which you are referring to (Associate Superintendent of Humanities) is being vacated and needs to be filled. It is not a new position.By Charteschoolhater
June 6, 2008 3:18 PM | Link to this
WHy don’t you start a blog subject about Mary and the rediculous perks she gets. I bet you might get the info you seek, Scott. My point is this, I am not the only one who psted to this blog that has info about this lady. It seems to me a taxpayer that the people need to know the choices the bd of ed is making in spending the money they do have. Especially since the board of ed wants more of our money to spend. You Scott are tasked to inform the DDN readers.By Avoice
June 6, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
Just for your information, DPS is now hiring an Associate Superintendent of Humanities. So much for belt tightening at Ludlow I. Stay tuned for more teacher cuts.By Scott Elliott
June 6, 2008 7:59 AM | Link to this
Charterhater, the problem with the investigation I did years ago was that I could not document any incidents or find anyone willing to go on the record who witnessed the sorts of things you are describing. Again, if you can prove anything you are saying, email me. You right that supervisor is the wrong term for her job. Again, I am going from memory from several years ago. Her job was not the typical bus aide position but involved moving around to the buildings and transporting kids individually or in small groups at times. Her duties may even be different today.By charterschoolhater
June 6, 2008 12:33 AM | Link to this
Once more thing Scott. I know for a fact that Ms. Manuel has in past used her atx payer paid for van for personal business. To go to the grocery store, flea markets, garage sales haul relatives around town, ect. Many at the transportation center know this to be true too. You could find no evidence of wrong doing here? If the Dayton Board of Ed allows employees to use a vehicle in this manner, then they do not need another dime of my money. Check it out and write an article about this. Better yet all local media including waste busters needs to investigate too.By charterschoolhater
June 6, 2008 12:25 AM | Link to this
Here is some info on Mary’s driver. Her name is Karen Frengi. The last may be misspelled. It is pronounced FresKee. She is retired now. She was employed as a bus aide. She drove Mary around during her off duty time. Scott, you should check out whether she was paid overtime to drive Mary around town. Even if she was not paid, why did Mary rate a driver. If that is the case, then what waste of taxpayer money. You can get access to the payroll records if you really want to. As for the comment from you that Mary got a vehicle because she was some kind of supervisor. Mary Manuel has been a union president of the paraprofessionals for a long time. She is a paraprofessional, not a supervisor. Scott you didn’t know that? I think you need to do an expose on all of Mary’s perks. She is paid all summer by us the tax payers, to do god knows what? when the other paras have to sit at home and starve. OAPSE the union that represents many classified DPS employees does not represent supervisors in Dayton. Come on Scott, it appears from the posts here that many are concerned about Mary and her tax payer paid perks in a year where the board of ed is asking for money, that a possibility exists that maybe the board of ed is continuing down the path of waste. What about the money down the drain due to cell phones? They want more money? That is an insult to us Dayton Tax payers. I a so glad I get to vote NO in the fall. My call to other DPS tax payers is that you do the same and vote NO on the levy. Especially if the Dayton schools is giving perks to union presidents. By the way Scott, what did you find out about Mary and her perks when you checked it out. The fact that the Board of Ed lied to you does not surprise me one bit. It shouldn’t surprise you either Scott. That is another reason to VOTE NO!! Here is one more Mary perk. She insists and gets the personnel at the bus garage to pump her gas in her tax payer paid for vehicle. What a crock!! If you don’t believe me ask around the transportation center. The public deserves to know this!!By Scott Elliott
June 5, 2008 11:35 PM | Link to this
Mary Manuel is the long time head of the paraprofessionals union, which represents teachers’ aides, bus aides and other similar workers in DPS. At one time, and it was several years back, I did look into Manuel’s vehicle use. I am going from memory here, but I recall the explanation from the district was that she was some sort of bus aide supervisor and her job involved troubleshooting bus-related problems. At the time I could find no hard evidence that she was breaking any laws or district rules. If someone has such evidence, email me.By Avoice
June 5, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
As I have said before Scott, why not contact Don Messer and let the public know about all of the hidden perks Percy and others receive while kids suffer. If the public really knew what goes on at Ludlow I and II the outrage might force some changes. As it stands now, most of us are too busy trying to make ends meet to take on this task. Please investigate this some day.By Laura
June 5, 2008 6:53 PM | Link to this
These “frills” that some people in DPS receive have been going on for many years. Mary Manuel has been pulling this stuff for as long as I can remember and no one ever does anything about it. She has far more power and influence than the teacher’s union. As to cell phone misuse, doesn’t anyone remember the fiasco a few years ago with the horrendous bills and they supposedly took away most people’s phones? I believe it was a Channel 7 investigation that uncovered it. I wonder how long it took for them to get the phones back.By Eve
June 5, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this
OK, I’ll bite. Who’s Mary Manuel?By Old Teach
June 5, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this
Not only does she have a board vehicle, up until last year, she had a driver. The lady who was her driver retired…..By charterschoolhater
June 5, 2008 4:24 PM | Link to this
Hey concerned. Not only does Mary Manuel drive a Bd. vehicle. She uses it for personal business and union business. The Bd. of Ed. turns a blind eye to this and they are asking us to support a levy. Taking away the vehicle and making Mary pay for what she owes the tax payers for the vehicles misuse should be the first cut that the Board of Ed should make. I do not know about now but in the past she has even used the vehicle to attend union conventions. And we paid for the gas. But the board of ed wants us to ante up more of our own hard earned money? With the price of gas as it is, all board of ed cars and vans should be confiscated and employees should be made to use their own vehicles with standard mileage reimbursement for bona fide work use only. As for why Mary has a vehicle?, I do not know. What I do know is that she has used the vehicle for personal use in the past for years and no one has done a thing about it. As I said before, isn’t that theft in office? Isn’t that a felony offense? I plan on voting NO on the levy just on the principal that the bd of ed allows this lady to use taxpayer owned vehicles for personal use, and the costs paid for by us. Come on Scott, you know she uses this van, why don’t you expose it?By Concerned
June 5, 2008 7:47 AM | Link to this
Why does Mary Manuel drive a board owned vehicle? Who else does? Let’s get this all out on the table!By charterschoolhater
June 4, 2008 8:58 PM | Link to this
Hey Previous employee nice comments!! I am outraged that the district turns a blind eye to Mary Manual and her misuse of tax payer owned vehicles. WHy isn’t the woman fired for this blatant waste of our money. I am ashamed at you Scott for not exposing this. We are talking cutting peoples jobs, making children walk 2 miles to school, when this woman goes grocery shopping and hauling her relatives around in a vehicle that we the taxpayers own, and pay for the gas and upkeep for. She also uses the vehicle we pay for to conduct union business. Check out Mary’s abuses of taxpayer money Scott and report back to us on this!! Isn’t this abuse a form of theft in office??? That is a felony isn’t it Scott?By Laura
June 4, 2008 7:18 PM | Link to this
With regard to discipline, nothing is going to change in Dayton or any other district as long as parents continue to teach their children disrespect for authority and promote violence. The parents of many students teach their children that if someone “puts their hands on them” they are to hit them back. I’m not talking about someone getting beat up; just touching or bumping into them encites a slug-fest. Parents will tell you don’t care if their child is suspended for fighting. I have heard parents tell their children to talk back to teachers if they don’t like what is said. I have seen (and experienced) parents come into a classroom (full of students) and have a screaming fit over something they don’t even know the whole story about. As to those who suggest parents be required to transport students to other schools when they are transferred for disciplinary reasons, state law requires schools to transport elementary students to distances farther than 2 miles.By J
June 4, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this
Deb: Neighborhood schools would help a lot with discipline. When I taught I was much more likely (right or wrong) to do home visits with trouble kids if I could easily walk or take a short drive to where they lived. Parents who lived in the neighborhood were much more likely to show up for conferences and after-school programs what we held. I found that the school became something to be proud, a place for the families to take ownership of instead of a place for free babysitting.By Kicked out?
June 3, 2008 10:56 PM | Link to this
Deb, here’s a thought: if your kid gets kicked out of his or her neighborhood school, YOU’RE responsible for getting them to the new school. Better yet, let’s get some interventions in place so that kids don’t get to the point where they’re getting kicked out. Right now principals mainly have 2 options available to discipline kids: suspension and expulsion. That’s ridiculous and counter-productive.By deb
June 3, 2008 5:30 PM | Link to this
Well, assigning kids to neighborhood schools sounds like a good idea, but what do you do when these kids get kicked out of their current buildings and are sent across town? You are right, we used to survive w/out cell phones….i’m sure that can happen again,….I’ve had to do it….By Previous Employee
June 3, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this
First of all, cut the frillies at the middle and upper levels. Board owned vehicles running all over the city and outside of city limits (Watch all where Mary Mannuel travels and the purpose). Cell phones are really not needed by every Tom, Dick and Harry. It’s a shame cuts are made to hurt the children when levies fail, but the Top Dogs do not give up expense accounts, vehicles, cell phones, fancy offices. Come on folks wise up. When groceries, gas, health insurance goes up, I have to cut some of my frillies to compensate. There are way too many chiefs within the Dayton school system and the folks doing all the responsible work are your teachers and support staff. Of course they are not making the salaries your top dogs are. The economy around Dayton is in dire straights and the Dayton Board wants a levy? Cut the frillies Board Members. The busing issue is a big joke. Children are supposed to be walking 1 1/2 miles to school now, but 95% of those students are being transported on buses now. Changing the criteria for transportation is not going to help one bit. Don’t worry parents, that is a threat that will never happen. If we are paying a superintendent the big bucks, why pray tell me is it necessary to pay a large consultant fee to help run our district? Should be the Super’s job wouldn’t you think?By J
June 3, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
A few thoughts… #1. How about telling parents they need to feed their children before they come to school. That would save a lot of cash for all the free breakfasts handed out each and every day. #2. How about getting back to neighborhood schools so kids could actually walk to school and not have to rely on DPS to bus them all over town wasting a lot of gas and money.By Concerned Mom of 3
June 2, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this
Tom- Don’t forget to factor in the impact the Charter school movement has had on the Dayton system over the last five years. As I understand, the loss of students (and funds) has dramatically changed the district. Right or wrong- the dramatic changes have made it extremely difficult to balance a budget. The numbers are constantly changing. (And not for the better.) Personally, I hope some of the proposed changes will help cut the amount the levy will be asking for. I don’t think a big levy has a chance to pass- with the economy the way it is.By Too little, too late
June 2, 2008 9:00 PM | Link to this
I agree with Eve that it is a step in the right direction, but it is too little too late. Chances are pretty slim that anyone will lease it. Hey, here’s a crazy idea: how about turning that space into a SCHOOL! Isn’t that the primary business of DPS?By Tom
June 2, 2008 7:09 PM | Link to this
DPS never ceases to amaze me! Let’s not forget the real story here! Buying those buildings cost 300+ people their jobs…it cost the thousands of students a decent education…it cost the city of Dayton residents loss in property values as the schools went “down the tubes,” and yet people still say what a great thing it was and how great the improvements in DPS were….. Well, I was employed in DPS for 6 years till I got layed off last year….I know how it works there! Children are a low priority by the upper level administration! Political gains and job bouncing are what is important. Also, in the 5 year forecast (a public document on the State Dept. of Ed. website), DPS did not forecast a deficit until 2009, and then the defecit was only $600 thousand…not the $30 million in 2007…how could they be that far off? Why has no one called them on it? I hold no answers, but could the purchasing of the Ludlow buildings have something to do with it?By Eve
June 2, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this
It’s a step in the right direction, but with downtown vacancy levels at record highs, who do they think is going to lease that space?