Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Meeting set to mull future of furloughs Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 14:59:57 EST Message-ID: \SE B;METROPOLITAN \HD Meeting set to mull future of furloughs \BY Darryl Lynette Figueroa \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES The stage is set for another battle today between D.C. school officials and city council members who ordered 12 furlough days for teachers and most District employees. Education and Libraries Committee chairman Hilda Mason has called a special meeting to hear the school board's solution for saving $1.5 million for each of the 11 remaining furlough days it wants to eliminate. D.C. Schools Superintendent Franklin Smith said that even though the school board doesn't have a set plan, he welcomed the chance to talk to the committee. "We have looked at some things," he said late last week. "But I see it as an opportunity for discussion and negotiation. "I'm not too sure council's ready to make any deals," said Mr. Smith. "We don't want to waste a lot of time with 'what ifs' if a judge is going to rule against furloughs." The furloughs have been challenged in court, and a decision on their legality could be made before their next scheduled furlough date, Nov. 27. The council agreed during an argumentative session Oct. 22 to give the school board the authority to save money without furloughs, in return for not scheduling any more school-day furloughs. But that small victory for the school board's authority over its budget came with a price Mr. Smith is not sure it can afford, since each furlough day reportedly saves $1.5 million. "It could be messing with fire," Mr. Smith said of any furlough-related cuts. "If we get from the council what we've asked for it only adds to the [budget] problem." At-large school board member Karen Shook said the flexibility the council offered at a previous meeting was helpful. Many school board members said they don't even know what might be brought up at today's meeting, because the problem hasn't been discussed at a Committee of the Whole meeting. Nor did the furloughs come up in the last Finance Committee meeting. "I'll probably find out what's going on the same time you do," one board member said. Mr. Smith's staff met last week and considered recommending a 10 percent, across-the-board cut in lieu of school-day furloughs, one source said. But if no plan is offered today, the meeting might become another testy struggle between the council and the board to schedule furlough days when children won't be in school, said Jim Ford, staff director of the Education committee. "It sounds like they'll be doing their impression of Abbott and Costello's 'Who's on First?' " he said. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM