PSBA calls to reduce 'unfunded mandates'

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

School boards group calls to reduce 'unfunded mandates'
Thursday, February 26, 2009
By Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pennsylvania School Boards Association is pursuing nearly 20 legislative proposals and action plans aimed at relieving school districts from "state-imposed unfunded and underfunded mandates."

"It is our way of saying to the governor and legislators, if you really want to help school districts, you can ease the burden of state mandates that are driving up the cost of education but not doing anything to improve the quality of instruction," said Thomas J. Gentzel, PSBA executive director.

The package, which was announced yesterday, is called FREE for Focusing Resources in Educational Expenses. The PSBA for years has made efforts to reduce so-called unfunded mandates.

One proposal calls for school districts to be able to lay off teachers for economic reasons. Currently, the number of teachers can be reduced if enrollment declines or if programs are cut, but not for economic necessity.

"School districts, like other employers, should have the ability and flexibility to make changes to the personnel complement when such changes are necessary," a PSBA statement noted.

Wythe Keever, spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, said, "The reason they're not currently allowed to do that is because of the negative educational impact. We think that reason is still valid."

The PSBA also is calling for a two-year moratorium on the prevailing wage law to coincide with the completion of projects funded by the federal stimulus package.

A PSBA statement calls prevailing wage "one of the most costly mandates on school construction in Pennsylvania," with the prevailing wage double that of the occupational wage in some counties.

The statement said suspending the prevailing wage would help achieve the "maximum use" of the federal dollars and "give districts the opportunity to evaluate the effect of this mandate on construction projects."

Mr. Keever said, "Prevailing wage makes sure that you have quality construction on public projects, and, in light of all the number of reports that have come out about so-called sick building syndrome, that's especially important for any building associated with public schools."

Some of the other PSBA proposals are:

• Provide disincentives for school employee strikes.
• Remove mandated benefit levels -- such as sick, bereavement and sabbatical leave -- and make them subject to local bargaining.
• Remove the requirement for school nurses to have special school certification.
• Increase the dollar threshold on maintenance and construction projects that can be done by school personnel.
• Take steps to reduce the cost of busing non-public students.
• Increase bid limits.
• Increase state funding for special education by at least 3 percent.

Education writer Eleanor Chute can be reached at echute@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1955.

First published on February 26, 2009 at 12:00 am