Budget-Saving Ideas
March 26, 2012
The following ideas for cost savings were collected from meetings that the Superintendent arranged at Lincoln Elementary on March, 13, Pottstown High School on March 19, and at the Administration Building on March 22. Other ideas came via email from employees or arrived anonymously to the Superintendent’s office.
Each idea will be reviewed by the central staff in preparation for a final budget recommendation to the Board.
1. Install hand dryers; get rid of paper towels in student/staff bathrooms
2. Single ply toilet paper.
3. Motion sensors for bathroom lights.
4. If the building lights are on then we all better be here...in other words:
A. In-service days – make them all ½ days and students attend in the morning.
B. How many calendar days do we absolutely have to be here?
Less days equals less HVAC, electric, and water usage.
Could we add an extra 15 to 30 minutes to the school day to delete a few full days?
C. Install building controls/sensors that heat/cool rooms only when occupied.
D. Adjust blowers in small spaces to run on low not medium or high.
E. Schedule cleaning during regular work hours to maximize energy cost savings.
5. All photocopies must be double sided to conserve paper.
6. Have Century Gothic the default type on all computers. It uses 30% less ink in printing. There is also a program called ecofont.
7. Allow advertising for a fee in our schools…colleges, local restaurants, centers, etc.
8. Everyone takes a pay freeze…and I mean everyone.
9. Bring back dress down Friday district wide for a fee. Donate it to our own programs in district!
10. With the last report card parents are provided with a mandatory supply list for the next school year.
11. I wanted to share an idea for saving the district money which has to do with electricity, and a company called Stream Energy. The process for this is actually very simple and Stream Energy would give you a free, no obligation quote tailored to the district to help you save money on every building’s electric bill.
The other unique feature of this company is opportunity to actually fund-raise through them. This would mean monthly, on-going income for the district - (or individual buildings if you prefer) and the fund-raising could be set up and utilized in a variety of ways.
Just a few of my thoughts included the possibility of families signing up for the fundraiser in lieu of a “pay-to-play” fee for athletes or other activities fees. Each family that signs up would generate approximately $50.00 per year for the district. The families would SAVE money on their own energy bill and Stream would GIVE money each month to the district.
12. Heat and cooling are running simultaneously at the High School (happens during transition times in the spring and fall), this is an energy drain.
13. Cut department chairs – reduce responsibilities/share duties
14. Consider delaying curriculum purchase
15. Residency requirement for future staff
- consider including incentive, employee grants
16. Petition state for early retirement incentive like the Mellow Bill.
17. Increase incentives for spouse to use their employer’s insurance.
18. Permit part-time employment for all staff, including teachers.
Ex. Semester by semester HS
19. Pay to play
20. Close buildings for summer.
21. Reduce number of days in school year.
22. 4 Day Week – include administrations; cost savings in reduced salaries; and building costs.
23. End summer programs
Partner with other groups to provide services, such as Boys and Girls Club, Park and Rec.
24. Currently, there is little incentive to conserve paper/supplies. Provide bins with used paper; many functions do not require a clean sheet (Use backs of sheets with print on one side).
25. Automatic light switches in department rooms.
26. Busses – create pick-up hubs for transportation to other elementary schools (could be a school or another site); reduce number of stops; move crossing guards to hubs
27. ESL
Currently, we transport some to home school, then to another school for ESL services; then back to the home school.
Review schedules, reduce transportation; consider teachers and ESL needs at a specific building and reduce schedule and transportation.
28. Expand cyber charter recruitment efforts
29. Increase staff efficiency with technology (Higher expectations of all levels)
Queries and reports from CSIU package
30. Extend walking distance to 1.5 vs.
Safe routes to school and adding crossing guards are less expensive than transportation.
31. Support Guidelines
Adjust hours required to secure health benefits
Grandfather current employees and create a new scale for new employees
32. District continues to offer benefits to part-time employees – discontinue OR increase personal contribution vs. eliminate the benefit
33. Consider part-time employment
34. For new employees – offer benefits only to employees with option to purchase for family/spouse.
35. Four day work week for some – administration and support staff.
36. Eliminate tuition reimbursement
37. If employees go on a professional leave, have them pay for their own travel expenses (gas, tolls and meals)
38. No pay increase for all employees
39. As people resign or retire make more positions a shared part-time position. No benefits for part-time workers.
40. Recruit more volunteers (golden sage workers), parents, etc. to help everyone with added workload
41. If child(ren) participate in any co-curricular sports or activities – make it mandatory for a parent or relative to help with that sport or activity – otherwise pay to play.
42. Ask people to donate an item for the science consumables each year (1 item per student). Send home a list of items that are needed so everyone can sign up to donate. Also ask community people to donate an item(s) – similar to a food drive, but for something on the consumable science list.
43. Have a community fund raiser to help defray the costs of items we need in school supplies for our students instead of the district paying for them. Example: pencils, erasers, paper, etc.
44. No food at meetings – buy/bring your own breakfast, lunch, refreshments, etc.
45. Have all sports pay to play
46. Drop tuition reimbursement – teachers and administrators
47. Eliminate expenses for volunteers, office, cell phones and meeting expenses (comm. relations position, etc.)
48. Pay own way to conferences, mileage and registrations – if they REALLY want to go
49. Turn off every other building hallway ceiling light – will still be bright enough