Smith outlines remedies to mend Greenland’s woes
Posted on Thursday, September 4, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/wrvn/Education/4248/
GREENLAND - The local school district has a chance of finishing the 2008-09 school year in the black, but the community needs to continue to raise funds to ensure it remains financially viable through 2009-10, Superintendent Roland Smith said Tuesday.
“ This is not enough when we look beyond this year, ” Smith said.
Smith gave a report to about 100 people on the current financial status of the district and other school happenings at his first “ town hall”meeting in the high school cafeteria. In July, Greenland was placed under state control due to financial problems and Smith was named superintendent by Arkansas Education Commissioner Ken James.
The district no longer has school board meetings, as the local board was dismissed as part of the takeover.
He said he would like the community to raise somewhere between $ 200, 000 to $ 400, 000 to help make the district more financially solvent and stave off further consideration of dissolving the district by the Arkansas Department of Education.
The biggest financial burden on the district currently is a $ 620, 000 cash flow loan that must be repaid in December, he said.
Smith said there is potential to save more than $ 800, 000 due to actions taken by the school board prior to the takeover and actions he has taken since to re-assign employees and not fill certain positions. The teachers and employees who took pay cuts to help save the district money are “ heroes, ” he added.
Last year, the district had 87 certified employees - positions that require a certificate from the state Education Department - and 54 noncertified employees. This year, Greenland has 74 certified and 46 non-certified employees.
The district’s financial problems are due mostly to being overstaffed and not making proper adjustments for staffing when enrollment declined over the last three years, Smith said.
The size of the district is not the problem, he said, noting that there are 143 high schools in Arkansas with lower enrollments than Greenland High School.
“ Even with an enrollment decline, this community has sufficient students for good schools to exist, ” Smith said.
Smith noted enrollment is down this year, probably due in part people leaving the district in the wake of the department’s action to consider Greenland for annexation due to its financial problems.
Last year, the district finished the school year with 907 students. So far, there are 807 students officially enrolled and 773 attending school.
“ New students in 2009-2010 would help our fiscal situation, ” he said.
He also spoke of small ways in which the district was saving money, which will add up in the end.
Smith said the transportation department recently picked up some good used buses from the Rogers School District, where he used to work as superintendent, for $ 1, 000 each. A new bus could cost about $ 85, 000, he said.
The district also renegotiated a pest control contract to save about $ 1, 400 and got a $ 345 refund from the phone company for canceling an unused 800 number, he said. The technology coordinator is working on getting refunds for some of its computer and Internet bills.
Smith said he is impressed with some of the academic progress and activities within the district, noting the average ACT score of 22. 1 by its high school students last year was above the state and national average.
The main problems the district has experienced are due to the financial situation, he said.
“ Don’t let anyone tell you there’s a problem with education in Greenland, ” he said.
On the first day of school, Smith added, staff from the Bald Knob School District bought the Greenland staff donuts in a demonstration of support. Bald Knob was placed under state control last year due to its financial shortcomings.
The Greenland School Supporters, a loose-knit group of school patrons and employees, met after Smith finished speaking to discuss upcoming fundraisers.
They will hold a dinner prior to the Sept. 12 home football game and plan to work concessions at University of Arkansas football games on Sept. 20 and Oct. 4.
On Sept. 14, there will be a concert by the Lil O’pry in Greenland to support the school, according to its events calendar.