School district needs to look at spending
To the editor:
The furor over Lee County Schools laying off elementary school music and art teachers appears to be a case of deception, smoke and mirrors. The purpose of this effort is to create pressure on the State Legislature to give more money to the schools and for taxpayers to consider a raise in sales tax and a raise in school property taxes. If the board cuts vital programs it appears that children are being seriously hurt.
At issue is the question of whether this is all really necessary? Are there other places where cuts can be made without seriously affecting the life of any child? Examples can be shown of serious administrative fat.
First example is the superintendent himself who just negotiated a $342,000 golden parachute as well as double dipping through the DROP program in addition to a hefty salary. Also to be looked at is his secretary who gets $86,000 a year, more than any teacher or school secretary! Another example is the $100,000 position of Joe Donzelli, public relations director, whose loss would not hurt a single child, plus several hundred thousand dollars for his staff. Add to that the many thousands of dollars spent on administrative directors and coordinators who again are not in the classroom. All this from a district that spent several millions of dollars buying land that it can’t use for schools it doesn’t need.
It is much easier to go after teachers, upset the community and disrupt the education of children than lose the fat cats sitting in an administrative palace. Before the public should support any tax increase or ask for more state monies there should be a thorough examination of how current money is being spent. All the smoke and mirrors need to disappear before the public is again hoodwinked by a group of people that are looking for themselves and not the children of Lee County!
John E. Traube
Cape Coral