School officials across the state of Michigan – including those in Three Rivers – are eagerly awaiting Thursday’s release of Governor Jennifer Granholm’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year to give them a better sense of what to expect and what they will have to work with in fashioning their budgets and negotiating with employee groups.

“Strategizing for negotiations” was the purpose of a fairly lengthy closed session at the end of the Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education meeting Monday evening (February 8th).

During a Tuesday morning interview with the River Country Journal, Superintendent Roger Rathburn said, “It’s been a difficult time for labor groups and school boards across the state because there’s so much uncertainty and there are so many things changing – weekly – that it makes it difficult for either side to really get a feel for what they can give, or what type of concessions they’re willing to give to help the school district financially.”

Rathburn said the governor’s budget proposal “will provide us with a pretty good illustration of what to expect for next year with regard to retirement costs, retirement incentives, (and) funding for school districts.”  But he cautioned that it’s just a starting point, saying, “The House will debate it.  The Senate will debate it.  It will probably end up being a little bit different version when it’s all finalized, but none-the-less, it is a starting point.”  (Roger_Rathburn audio clip – :42)

Rathburn also noted there are other variables including a number of bills that have been introduced in the House and Senate that impact education, plus changes being made to the School Code to get Race to the Top dollars from the federal government.

Rathburn said, “It’s a challenging and exciting world right now in education, but it makes it very difficult to settle contracts.”

Progress is being made on the contract negotiation front, however, with Rathburn indicating that a contract with support staff – secretaries, bus drivers and maintenance staff – is nearly wrapped up.  The agreement will cover this year and next.

Rathburn reported that six dates for talks with the teachers’ group have been set – two each in March, April and May – to discuss next year’s contract.  And he said there’s also a need to talk to food service employees, paraprofessionals and the administrative group.

Rathburn said that one of the trends now in school districts – “a sign of the times” – is for one-year contracts, rather than the three-year agreements that were common when he first became a superintendent.

Regarding the budget for the upcoming year, Rathburn said the board has agreed to hold a full-day work session in May to review cuts discussed during a similar work session last fall and work toward finalizing the spending plan that needs to be adopted in June.  He said school officials “should have a pretty good feel” and “more relevant information” in May.

The school district’s new fiscal year begins July 1st.

To hear the interview with Roger Rathburn – conducted by Bruce Snook of the River Country Journal – click here (4:49 – 4.41 MB)