Doing More With Less

Alabama Baldwin County Baldwin County schools adjusting to life with 200 fewer employees

by Pat Peterson

Published: Thu, October 01, 2009 - 2:57 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, October 01, 2009 - 4:33 pm CST

ELBERTA, Alabama -
Teachers across Baldwin County are doing more than just lesson plans and lectures these days. At Elberta Elementary, educators are now doubling as custodians!

"Whatever I've asked them to do in schedule changes or additional duties they've been more than willing, so we're all just here to make it work," says principal Hope Zeanah. "It's been a difficult beginning of the year, it's been stressful for the staff and faculty, we've lost 19 employees since May including an assistant principal, certified teachers, media aides, P.E. aides."

Computer labs and media rooms once full of students are now dark and empty. And in the cafeteria, three people are now doing what five employees used to do.

"It was really sad yesterday to see them leave," says Catherine Partin, cafeteria manager. "There were a lot of tears, I had some that had been here ten years that are gone."

More than 200 employees were laid off Wednesday to help offset the school district's 57 million dollar budget shortfall.

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taxpayer Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 12:45 pm

It is not 200, that was just one of the last “wave” of the many dismissals this year at teh Baldwin County Board of Education. Here is the kicker, they still don’t have the funds they need for this fiscal year. They are “hoping” the stimulus monies will carry them through the current gaps in the budget. You know, in the past, this school system always had a surplus for times like this. It is fair to say that every department, including the central office in Bay Minette, has taken huge hits to their payroll. But who was responsible for mis-managing the surplus funds to begin with? Most would say the CFO is to blame for financial managment. What type of hit has she taken? Is SHE essential?