I know them all to be intelligent, dedicated public servants who are finding themselves in a huge financial mess due to our changing demographics. Unfortunately, as the community is painfully aware, the board is responding with a knee-jerk reaction instead of setting forth a plan, asking for community input, then revising the plan. The question that begs to be answered in this situation is what cutbacks can be made that impact the least number of students and provide the greatest amount of fiscal relief while maintaining excellence in education. The gutting of our supply of experienced teachers has already happened without regard as to who the principals will turn to to teach advanced science, math, English, social studies and foreign languages. When I see chartered luxury buses pulling up to the stadium and then see a small army of coaches on the sidelines, I cannot help but question the associated expenses.
Coaches even teach occasional classes so as to establish themselves as teachers.
Privately, administrators, teachers and school trustees have told me athletics are sacrosanct in Abilene. This is nonsensical when academic and enrichment classes are looked at as targets to cut back on expenses. Current dialogue on cutbacks include nurses, librarians, music programs and advanced placement classes. Instead of arbitrarily eliminating any of these, the entire budget for the district's athletic programs needs to be put on the table on the same playing field for budget cuts as any other item. Even more importantly, trustees should take a time-out from further decisions until solid numbers are available on what savings have already been obtained from the school closings and buyouts and exactly how much money Abilene will obtain after the state Legislature votes.