By Victor Skinner
EAGnews.org

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham school board’s stubborn refusal to enact a cost-cutting plan forced state officials to take over the district’s finances this week.

Officials with the Alabama Education Association, of course, have vowed to fight to preserve teaching jobs and employee benefits, which they describe as their “top priority,” according to a story published by MontgomeryAdvertiser.com.

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Once again, students don’t qualify for the union’s priority list.

State law requires Alabama school districts to maintain enough savings to operate for at least one month, and school officials in Birmingham have failed to submit a plan to meet that requirement. The law says the school district should build a reserve of at least $17 million, but it currently has only $2 million in the bank.

The school board failed to adopt a state plan that would have cut about 200 jobs to meet the financial requirement. In response, the state has appointed Ed Richardson, a former state education superintendent, to take over the district’s finances.

Deputy State Superintendent Craig Pouncey blamed the takeover on “inaction by the majority of the Birmingham city board,” the news site reports.

“We hear a lot of talk, we hear a lot of chatter. But nowhere in those comments do we hear a resounding voice about doing what’s best for the children,” Pouncey said.

The state takeover means jobs, and perhaps some expensive union employee benefits, will be targeted for elimination.

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Union spokesman Lance Hyche said the AEA will “negotiate with the board and the state in good faith,” but made it clear that the union will focus on what’s best for the district’s adults – the preservation of jobs and employee benefits –  whether or not enough money remains to provide adequate student instruction.

School board member Phyllis Wyne, who voted in favor of the state cost-cutting plan, told the Advertiser the union’s influence on board members is the problem.

“I don’t blame anyone but the board itself for this,” she said.

Richardson and Pouncey said they will work to stash away about twice the minimum savings requirement, which could lead to more cuts than originally proposed. They expect the state to remain in control of district finances for at least two years, the Advertiser reports.

Hopefully, that will be enough time to change the adult-first mentality that is obviously plaguing the Birmingham district, and thousands like it across the country. The adult focus is a product of relentless union pressure to increase pay and benefits for members, regardless of economic conditions.

Our hope is that state officials can create a new list of priorities for the school district, with student needs and fiscal responsibility at the top. A great first step would be to force the district to cut or eliminate unnecessary labor expenses, like automatic annual raises and free or low-cost health insurance for employees, before laying off younger teachers or eliminating valuable student programs.

After all, a typical public school spends about three-quarters of its general fund budget on salaries and benefits for union employees. If cuts are necessary, that’s the logical place to start.