Lancaster school directors pass furlough measure

The School District of Lancaster Board of Directors voted unanimously to pass a Resolution of Intent to Furlough Teachers and Staff in order to make up for a budget deficit of more than $9.6 million dollars from last year and an expected deficit of more than $7.5 million this budget year.

The vote came at a special school board meeting, following a decision to table the matter last week. School Board President Jennifer Eaton says this does not mean furloughs are inevitable.

“I’m not prepared to say that,” Eaton told The Independence. “This just gives the District the legal authority to furlough staff”

For the second week in a row, parents, teachers, staff, and residents packed the meeting room at Lincoln Middle School. They expressed concern and asked administrators to work to avoid furloughing more than 70 teachers and instructors. More than 20 staff and fifteen administrative jobs are also on the line.

Parent Christian Miller expressed his concerns as he addressed the board at the podium.

“I’m worried about the students,” he said. “We’re cutting jobs. Is my daughter or other kids going to fall through the cracks?” 

Furloughs are on the table as a result of declining enrollment, overspending, and an accounting error which failed to take into account nearly $10 million dollars in salaries and other expenditures. That mistake has residents seeing red.

“You lose $10 million dollars and can’t give an explanation, how is that mistake made?” resident Charles Godfrey told the board. “Students will suffer. It’s difficult to trust decisions.”

Superintendent Dr. Keith Miles acknowledged the bookkeeping error’s impact.

“The accounting error made the situation worse,” he said. 

Jessica Lopez echoed concerns about how a financial mistake of that magnitude could happen. 

“Why don’t we know who approved the 2023-2024 budget?” she asked. “It was a budget with errors. Why aren’t they on the chopping block?”

Resident Susan Knoll says she loves the school district and implored the board to find other answers to make up for the deficit and avoid furloughing staff.

“I hope for our students, staff, and teachers you can come up with a solution and that this will never happen again,” Knoll said.

State Representative NIkki Rivera (D-Lancaster) spoke about funding for public school districts such as Lancaster.

“As a former teacher, I know they are on the edge of their seats with the stress,” she said. “Representative Ismail Smith-Wade-El [D-Lancaster] and I are fighting for funding. Kids need fair funding.”

Superintendent Miles told community members, “Furloughs are a last resort, a final option to balance the budget.”

The school district has already paused after school and summer programs to save money.

Eaton says she understands the school community’s frustration.

“I’m very sympathetic that part of my community is hurting,” she said.

Eaton discussed other factors contributing to the fiscal cliff the school district faces.

“I think it’s become a perfect storm,” she said. “There’s been a lot of administrative turnover and we’ve been without a controller in the business office. Not making excuses, but there have been challenges.”

The firm hired to review the school district’s finances and audit the accounting is scheduled to provide its report at the school board meeting April 7, which is being called a community budget forum.  The board will be required to make a decision on furloughs before the budget is finalized at the end of June.

“The community is aware there is a review of the financial situation and wants answers yesterday,” Miles said. “We will receive the findings and take corrective action.”

Barbara Barr is a former reporter for WGAL in Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Valley where she led political coverage that earned a Walter Cronkite Award.