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Grenada School District Cuts $1.8 million from budget
5/12/2010

The Grenada School District has been forced to decrease the District's 2010-11 budget by $1.8 million due to the reductions in funding from the State MAEP (Minimum Adequate Education Program), officials said.

“Difficult decisions have been made and are continuing to be made to ensure the financial solvency of our district," said Dr. David Daigneault, superintendent. "Over 110 employees are affected by these cuts, including reductions in staff, decrease in extended day contracts, and voluntary reductions in salary by the administrative team,” he said.

(Additional details in the Friday print edition.)

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Submitted By: Steven Fowler	Submitted: 5/20/2010
Oh yeah, one other thing......Start diciplining your children...other wise I gotta keep paying taxes on the little a-holes when they go to prison or knock up their teenage girlfriends, so yeah..I support the belt, paddle, hand..whatever gets the job done. And for the parents who think spanking is child abuse, I dare you to approach me in a public place and tell me that when I pop my kids butt, that it is child abuse, cause I am gonna grab you next and spank your butt. DO YOUR JOB PARENTS!

Submitted By: Steven Fowler	Submitted: 5/20/2010
Please...teachers today have no worries and they are not putting the correct information out to the students. If teachers were really making sure that their students were learning then the education rates would not be so low. I strolled through the highschool one day on a job and asked the teacher in a class why her students were sleeping in class? "Shouldn't those students be awake and not laying down with their heads on the desks?", I asked....she said, "My job is to put the information out there, it is their job to recieve it. I don't care if they are sleeping as long as they don't bother me." So....tell me how hard teachers have it? Besides with, all the Government conforming of young minds to look alike, dress alike, act alike...do we even have children with minds ready to explore the world and create and invent...no we have a bunch of mindless zombies that could care less if they learn....Do away with uniforms, start teaching history, science and math again without all the religious BS that the Christian community want's to throw in there because "The Bible says so" and get these kids to becoming the next Nikola Tesla or albert Einstein, or Mary Curie. Please...teachers have it hard...When I was in school they had it hard, now they are all a bunch of crying over-paid underworked public servants. That is why I support Home Schooling.

Submitted By: Concerned	Submitted: 5/17/2010
Tobie Baker- Thank you for the information I am looking into filing a formal complaint for the vile emails the teachers are sending one another. It is a disgrace to our school system as well as the teachers forwarding them.

Submitted By: Just Saying	Submitted: 5/16/2010
Does anyone realize that the teachers and assistants do the hardest job that should start in the home? Teaching. Today school has become a daycare to children whose parents don't want to be bothered taking care of their own children. Why do I say this you ask? Well, I will tell you..... Kids are having kids and don't know how or want to know how to raise a child to be anything other than a minature of themselves who will grow up believing that everything should be handed to them on a silver platter. They don't get their way so they disrupt the classroom where a teacher is trying her best to do her job to the best of her ability and has to take every 10 minutes stopping the lesson to stop a fight over a child who will raise holy war because he/she doesn't think they should have to pay attention because the parent/parents tell them , oh, it's ok to act like a heathen because they can' do anything to you. They can't send you to the office, they can't spank you , they can't send you home, they can't do anything to you. Believe it or not administrative higher ups tell this to the teachers. Don't send them to the office, we don't want a lawsuit on our hands...WELL.... Once upon a time teachers were the higher ups and could dicipline as the need arose. Teachers and assistants most assuredly earn their money and if the higher ups would come sit in the classroom for a week or so they would get their fill of all we put up with then we would make 120,000 a year, but do you think they will do that? I think not!!! They would have a heart attack!! Does anyone know why the moral of teachers and assistants are on a low now in todays world? Respect and dicipline went out the door way to long ago for the teaching profession by many people. It is a what can I get world now and not what can I give the world! What would any of us be without a teacher? My best memories of learning self-respect, love for other people, pride in myself and my accompolisments came from a teacher,it made a positive impact on my life. Yes, there is no guarantee that I will even have a job come August 1, they have already told us as much by not saying anything at all to the ones of lucky enough to still as of this minute that we may still have a job. Dr. D doesn't seem to think us AT-WILLS do anything for the kids or the teachers ...BOY IS HE FOOLING YOU FOLKS! While he sits up on his throne we deal with your children all day and try to instill in them the best we can. Let them put 30-35 students in a room and the teacher have no help and just see what your children become.

Submitted By: Glad to be informed	Submitted: 5/16/2010
Thank you Mr. Lee for publishing the list of salaries! The next time I hear that a teacher is "underpaid" I will tell them to quit whining! I mean come on.....52,000 per year to work 188 days! Wow!! That's underpaid??? Whatever!!! Here is a solution.......why don't the school district stop letting in children from other counties? That would help! I know of 15-20 kids who are in this school district and their parents lied to get them in. I know some are accepted and do pay the money to get them in Grenada, but some don't and brag about it! How about sending them back to Yalobusha, Tallahatchie and Montgomery county to go to school where they should go!

Submitted By: Lynda T.	Submitted: 5/16/2010
Now Mr. Lee go back to each salary and list how many years each person has spend filling the void we..parents..could not fill. Then go spend a FULL day with one of those teachers. I will be looking for your reply on the FRONT page of your paper.

Submitted By: offended and puzzled	Submitted: 5/14/2010
First of all I am amazed that you would publish someone's name and salary information. No one reading this would want their name and salary put out there for all the world to see. This was information that I dont even share with some of my family because, frankly, it is no one else's business how much I get paid. Now you have plastered that information all over the paper. Second of all, if you want highly qualified theachers ( which I am ), you have to pay them what it is worth. If you actually want people who have gone to school and earned degrees instead of people with a high school education teaching your kids then they have to be paid to do so. If I wanted to get paid minimal wage I would not have paid for, and worked for, 2 degrees and national certification, which did not come easy by the way. You failed to mention that portions of some people's salary are not even paid by GSD. I am one of those people with $6000 of my salary coming from national board money. You have really accomplished alot by publishing this haven't you? We appreciate you causing more hurt feelings in a school district where people are already hurting due to cut backs. I would like for you to publish a reason for puting this information in the newspaper. I hope you can see that this is WRONG! And to think that I have put this job and the kids of this community before my own kids many times. I don't have a 8-5 JOB. I have a career that goes with me to walmart, church, the ballfield, and everywhere else I go where children may be. You don't think about how much time we spend related to our profession that does not happen during school hours. I put in at least 11 hours a day, every day. And to think that someone thinks I'm overpaid is a joke. You try doing what I do for a day and then you can have something to say.

Submitted By: Grenada Educator	Submitted: 5/14/2010
I think that it should be noted that many of the salaries posted included the $6,000.00 per year supplement from the state of Mississippi which we may or not get depending on budget cuts. This was an increase that was promised to teachers if we completed the rigorous process of becoming Nationally Board Certified. I spent the better part of two years working toward this goal only to be told,"too bad, so sad." How would you like to be told that money you budgeted for and worked for would now be taken away? Thank you to all of our esteemed representatives at the state capitol. You deserve a slap on the back from all of the other "good ole boys!"

Submitted By: Old School Marm	Submitted: 5/14/2010
After taking a moment to collect my thoughts and consider the source of ignorance within this “Blog-o-sphere”, I am ready to reply. It is frightening to know that many of these comments are made by individuals who are raising children and driving a car on a public highway. The audacity that it took to publish personal information about public employees is shocking. My name is not on the top 35 but not because I have not worked all of my life teaching and molding your children into productive adults. I have my BS and National Board Certification for which I am poorly compensated. Spend some time with your tiny, underdeveloped brains and complete THAT process. I’m certain that you could do it in your spare time but it took me (an ignorant old girl from the south), 5-8 hours a day, 7 days a week for over a year. As for the financial crisis we are facing, we are in little control. The only thing we can do is use our voting power to remove those at fault and place someone there who will work for us and our children. Now the extremely sore point: please feel free to post your financial information for public viewing and let me know. It’s not insulting at all. In fact, no one asked me how much I tithe or whether I have had a b.m. today. I deserve every dime I make and then some. Our contract says 188 days. My day starts at 5:20; I try to be home by supper but many times do not make it. We work on week ends and continue our education during summers or squeezed between “breaks” during the year. I seldom drive up this hill (during our days “off”) that I don’t find others working. We go to bed with notebooks and papers at night. On a personal note, my husband thinks there is supposed to be an indention in my back shaped like a spiral notebook (teachers often fall asleep working). My students’ parents have my home number and cell and are free to call any time. We go to our kids’ ball games and extra curricular activities because it builds a classroom family. We take up slack when parents refuse to take responsibility for checking home work and studying for tests. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard parents come into the office for their children and do not even know their names. Now, I know that teaching was my choice and I would not trade the decision for anything. I love these children. I did not however choose to have some dumb redneck from Grenada, Mississippi, insult my intelligence or work ethic. And on that note, I will sign off. Thank all of you who have supported our administration and faculty during this most difficult time. Sincerely, Old School Ma’rm

Submitted By: Teachers are not average	Submitted: 5/14/2010
Teachers work very hard to earn their degrees. They go back to school and take classes to renew certification every 5 to 10 years.We are no different from any other employee with a college degree. Teachers go to school to get paid a salary. If we wanted an average salary of $ 33,000 a year ,we would work at a store or a part time job. Some of us have Master's degrees and National Board Certification. Both extra degrees cost money, and time! We earned it, it wasn't a gift!!

Submitted By:	Submitted: 5/14/2010
If you would have read the cuts story in detail, it said reductions in salary were for upper administration, i.e. superintendent, asst. superintendent and directors. From is said, no teacher salaries are cut.

Submitted By: Good info	Submitted: 5/14/2010
I, for one, appreciate the newspaper publishing these salaries. One of the school district employees is making over $45,000 and works part-time. Nice work if you can get. And, there is absolutely no facts to show that the salaries have been cut, except for the furlough week coming up in July.

Submitted By: help not hurt	Submitted: 5/14/2010
Things are bad enough in our community and school district right now... SO WHY "stir the pot" and create more problems in our community by posting salaries? It is time to pull together and try to educate our kids the best we can. Next year we will have more kids in a classroom with no assistant. How sad for our children! By the way, many of the salaries listed have already been cut significantly for next year so this district can make ends meet. It would be nice if our city newspaper would be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Submitted By: Underpaid	Submitted: 5/14/2010
The Friday newspaper has some interesting facts and figures on page 6.

Submitted By: Did you know	Submitted: 5/14/2010
First off, the administration is responsible to educate not to entertain. Secondly, grant money is not ‘free money’ it is tax payer’s dollars. No, I am not proud that we have administrators whose job is find so-called grant money to spend on a programs to teach less than twelve children how to bake cookies. We need well paid teachers who are treated and act like professionals --not nannies. Maybe this administration could use its time finding this so called free grant money to keep and pay for teachers. Is there anyone else out there that thinks Grant money is not coming out of the tax payers pockets??? Better yet, that that same grant money could have been used to teach things like, ya know, math, English, science, and history….? We are in a world economy, our kids are not competing with students from Alabama or Texas anymore. They are competing against Japanese, Dutch, and German students who are at the moment kicking their tales in the subjects that count. Making better brownies than French kids won’t get you a job!

Submitted By: dillobas	Submitted: 5/14/2010
If they would cut those air conditioner units off at night in those schools, that would drastically reduce expense. I mean, why in the world is this issue not being looked into. I know when I was in school, there were no air conditioners at all... just fans and opened windows. I'm sure there are other ways to cut back, if the School Board of Administrators would do a much better at investigating what should be cut and what should not be cut. I'm sure, if I sat behind a desk long enough, I too, could sit back and imagine things to be cut, instead of going out into the field and actually looking at what should be cut.

Submitted By: Solve the Problem	Submitted: 5/13/2010
This won't clear the money issues, but it will clear the transparency issue, knowing how to deal with people, and having some integrity: Dr. Poss - Superintendent; Dr. Taylor - Assistant Superintendent. Nuf said!!! At least they will know how to deal with the people and communicate through the tough times.

Submitted By: Real Cuts	Submitted: 5/13/2010
3.add 2 hrs a day to time in school and cut week to 4 days. That will save in electricity, gas on buses, salaries, food...etc 4.make parents pay for something...pencils and paper would help( oh yes..book fines for the lovely darlings who destroy the expensive books we provide!)

Submitted By: Let's talk REAL CUTS	Submitted: 5/13/2010
1.EVERY EMPLOYEE take a 5-10% paycut. 2.Until this crisis is over, cut all extra curricular activities (BAND, showchoirs, sports, or anything else- aside from pure academics) unless parent are willing to be responsible to lead and help.

Submitted By: RE: Did You Know	Submitted: 5/13/2010
The culinary class is funded by a grant that specifies how the money is spent. If the money is not spent on the culinary class then it will not be spent at all. In other words, the school district would not receive those funds and would not offer that particular class. Aren't you glad someone in the administrative building is finding money to offer unique classes to keep students interested?

Submitted By: logmat	Submitted: 5/13/2010
To Parents? That's a cop out . There are plenty of single parents who raise kids that aren't in gangs. I am one of them. Rich or poor , a good parent can do wonders. And that means being an on hands one,not turning it over to the country.

Submitted By: Know the Facts	Submitted: 5/13/2010
Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) The Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) is a law that provides a formula that is designed to ensure an adequate education for every Mississippi child -- whether that child lives in a “wealthy” community or a “poor” one. It is designed to provide schools the resources necessary for adequate student achievement. The MAEP provides funding for: · Teacher and other district employee salaries, retirement and insurance · Textbooks and other instructional materials · Basic operational costs (utilities, facility maintenance, etc.) The MAEP does not include funding for: · Transportation (operation of buses) · Special education · Vocational education · Gifted education · Teacher supplies · Increases in insurance premiums · Building funds for facility maintenance and improvement · Salary increases mandated by the legislature for the next fiscal year · School improvement programs The 60% Myth Politicians often use the percent of the state budget that is dedicated to public schools as evidence of their support of K-12 education. You have probably heard them claim that education makes up over 60% of the total state budget. That is simply not true. While it is true that all of education - including universities and community colleges - make up about 60% of the General Fund portion of the state budget, the General Fund represents less than 2/3 of the total state budget, exclusive of federal funds. Approximately 35% of state taxes and fees are diverted to special funds and are not considered a part of the General Fund appropriations. But this diverted revenue, like General Fund revenue, is made up of state taxes and fees paid by the people of Mississippi. It is simply diverted to specific state agencies rather than going into the General Fund. The truth is, when all state taxes and fees are considered, K-12 education makes up about 26% of the state budget - a far cry from 60%. The Mississippi Department of Education has developed a spreadsheet that shows the local school district allocations of MAEP funding that was appropriated for the coming year in House Bills 1622 and 1059. Please bear in mind that the funding appropriated in HB1059 is contingent upon the passage of federal legislation to extend the states' reduced match for Medicaid. Schools will receive at least the level of funding appropriated in HB1622. You will note that the spreadsheet is in draft form. This is due to the fact that Governor Barbour has not yet received and signed the appropriations bills. Though he is expected to approve them, the budgets are not final until he does so. The spreadsheet compares what districts had in the way of MAEP funding for the current year (FY10) after budget cuts and after some of the funding that had been cut was restored, what each school district will receive in the way of MAEP funding for FY11 (next year) according to HB1622, what each district would receive for FY11 according to HB1059 if the federal legislation is passed, and the amount of ARRA (federal stimulus funding) that was used in the appropriations. The document below allows you to see how much your school district will receive in MAEP funding for the coming year. www.msparentscampaign.org/docs/FY11_MAEP_Per_Dist.pdf Read more about areas throughout the state: Grenada is not the only district being affected. www.msparentscampaign.org

Submitted By: Tobie Baker	Submitted: 5/13/2010
Cut out the internet? This is the digital information age. Cut it out, and all of Grenada's school aged children will suffer. Now if you have a problem with teachers abusing their email accounts, then lodge a formal complaint.

Submitted By: Did You Know	Submitted: 5/13/2010
Did you know that in the summer, a lunch room lady is paid to teach less than 12 children how to cook. And the busses run for these children. She had so much money for this project the only way she could spend it all was to take them to Orleans Bistro and have lunch. But of course this was a teaching experience!!! Did you know that hundreds of dollars was just spent for a new dishwasher to wash pans so that they would not have to wash them by hand. Now I was told that the lunchrooms were not part of the school budget and would not be effected, Just my opinion but is this still not tax dollars that could be used to pay teachers???

Submitted By: Parents?	Submitted: 5/13/2010
You folks who keep calling for help from the parents need to realize that most of these kids are being raised by a single parent who is probably either uneducated, unemployed or just doesn't give a flip. A lot of kids today must make it own their own, and sadly, they can't. Thanks to teachers for all they do.

Submitted By: Grenada Educator	Submitted: 5/13/2010
Dont you people see? There was no comment before yesterday in the previous budget articles about an administrative pay cut. DDD stuck his finger under the water faucet and found that is was very hot, almost caustic, so he has circled the wagons and said there will be an administrative pay cut. Why no figures? Because until the last week with the comments in these forums he had NO PLANS OF TAKING A CUT!!!! I have seen DDD weave his majic for 30 years now. He is the best politician since Bill CLinton. He knows how to test the water before jumping. To those who think about the man as I do, you will NEVER convince the DDD cool aid crowd they he is anything but Mr. Wonderful. The only way for this to change is for parents and others in the community to band together and make a concerted effort to call your school board member for your beat every day until he is gone. Otherwise Grenada Schools will go the way of many others in our vicinity.

Submitted By: logmat	Submitted: 5/13/2010
Quote"Why are we spending money on an anti gang school? I couldn't believe what I read in the paper. That money should go to regular school." Cause the government has REQUIRED that all schools do this.Quote Bull, I know plenty of schools who don't have it. I repeat, that is the parents job and if they can't be a parent then the kids should be removed.

Submitted By:	Submitted: 5/13/2010
"Why are we spending money on an anti gang school? I couldn't believe what I read in the paper. That money should go to regular school." Cause the government has REQUIRED that all schools do this. "How is it that the district knows how much money they will have next year already?"; does not appear this is a final budget but only cuts from the budget. They stated that the cuts coming the state would exceed $2.500,000, and it would appear this is all the school district was willing to cut to continue education to our children. "I bet that. Dr. Daigneaults salary was not affected." Did you read the article? It reads. "Voluntary reductions in salary by the administrative team?"

Submitted By: Lisa	Submitted: 5/13/2010
I am worried for the children. Anyone else?

Submitted By: just thinking	Submitted: 5/12/2010
1.8 million, isn't that just about the cost of our upcoming basketball/senior citizen complex, not to mention the not yet revealed yearly maintenance and management cost. It seems the money would better be spent toward our childrens education. Even though my Seventy something mother was really looking foward to shooting some hoops.

Submitted By: haha	Submitted: 5/12/2010
How is it that the district knows how much money they will have next year already? The state budget has notbeen set yet. Are they just guessing?

Submitted By: An Idea	Submitted: 5/12/2010
Another idea in saving money would be to cut out internet use. Teachers email and use the messenger all during school hours and not about students or school business. Is anyone watching the teachers? Several emails have gone out to people I know with nudity and filth from "teachers" during the school hours. That would be a big cut in the budget. And would help with the reputation as well.

Submitted By: Another Concern	Submitted: 5/12/2010
I bet that. Dr. Daigneaults salary was not affected. I commend Randy Poss in Winona cutting his own salary and thinking of others first and not just himself. Bet none of D's "friends" were affected either. TEACHERS should be the LAST people to be affected. Start at the top and work down. A lot of the money is being spent paying ALL of the "unnecessary"administration Grenada School District has.

Submitted By: logmat	Submitted: 5/12/2010
Why are we spending money on an anti gang school? I couldn't believe what I read in the paper. That money should go to regular school. Parents should be seeing to stuff like this and if they can't remove the kids. Enough of this kind of thing. If you have children take care of them and don't expect the county to be the parent.

Submitted By: concerned2	Submitted: 5/12/2010
This is a huge cut and will affect all our children. Seems like St of MS is putting education at the bottom of their list. This is an opportunity for us not only to contact our legislature but as a community to start becoming active in raising funds, donating our time to assist these teachers and really help our children. This is definetely a government issue but as a community we need to be proactive!!

Submitted By: concerned	Submitted: 5/12/2010
OMG!! What are we gonna do? how can one teacher handle more that 20 or more kids by themselves. We all need to talk to our legislatures because as a concerned parent I want my child to recieve the best education possible. And with the budget cuts and all I don't feel he/she will get that one teacher won't be able to reach all these kids by themselves.

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