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Local News |
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| Carroll County Public Schools to curb out-of-state travel |
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| By Karen Kemp, Times Staff Writer |
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 |
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In order to save money for the school system, Carroll County Public Schools has decided to eliminate out-of-state travel for professional development starting this summer.
Officials have been trying to cut back on travel expenses since November as they reviewed the current budget for potential reductions in anticipation of state funding cuts. No specific policies were put in place, but requests for travel were reviewed more critically, according to Chris Hartlove, director of administrative services.
Two months ago, school board members Patricia Gadberry and Gary Bauer attended the annual National School Board Association Conference in San Diego. The board registered for the conference in October, and all expenses for the trip cost the school system $5,157.92.
Schools Superintendent Charles Ecker defended the decision to have board members attend the conference, which he said was a very valuable experience. Board members attend workshops with other elected officials throughout the country and bring back ideas on how to improve the school system locally, he said.
The NSBA conference represents less than 2 percent of the $310,000 the school system has spent on travel so far since the beginning of the 2009 fiscal year, which began July 1. That includes $158,000 for teachers, $111,000 for school administrators, $30,000 for central office staff and $10,000 for school board meetings and other events, according to Hartlove.
At this time last year, $320,000 had been spent on travel during fiscal year 2008, he said.
While he did not have data on the number of out-of-state trips compared to in-state trips, Hartlove said he expects even more savings next school year, because travel expenses will be tightened further.
Beginning July 1, staff will be restricted to professional development opportunities held in Maryland. There will be few exceptions to the rule, such as grants that require attendance at specific events in other states, Hartlove said.
“We know we’re going to spend less on airfare, and we’re going to spend less on hotels,” he said.
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Barry Potts, president of the Carroll County Education Association, said there are other ways for teachers and staff to network with colleagues throughout the country, such as conference calls.
He said that with the budget concerns the school system is facing, the board needs to find ways to cut back on expenditures without negatively impacting the success of the students.
“I think the board has to set the example to save money wherever it can,” he said. “Everybody is going to have to make sacrifices.”
According to Ecker, the board will wait until the fall to decide whether to register any members for the 2010 NSBA conference. That’s when registration opens for the event, which will be held in Chicago.
He noted that Bauer is chairman of both NSBA’s Federal Relations Network and the Legal Services Association for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, while Gadberry serves on MABE’s board of directors.
“[The conference] is sort of an expectation for MABE,” Ecker said.
Stephen Bounds, director of legal and policy services for MABE, said attending the conference is not a requirement, but most school boards in the state typically do send members each year.
“It is without a doubt the most intensive training experience for board members,” he said.
However, because of the state budget situation, there was about a 50 percent reduction in the number of board members attending this year’s conference, Bounds said. Some school boards didn’t send anyone, and there were some members who paid their own way, he said.
Bauer said this year was the seventh time he attended the conference. After attending a workshop on school safety, he was able to share several ideas with school system officials, including installing security cameras that can be accessed outside the building and assigning numbers to all areas of school buildings.
Because education is constantly changing, it is important for board members to stay up to date on new regulations and approaches that are being implemented in other states, Bauer said.
Gadberry, who has been going to the conference for four years, said networking with board members from other states can provide different perspectives about school policies and programs.
One workshop she felt was especially important this year was on the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a national initiative to prepare students for working in a global economy. She said she thinks the school system is moving in that direction.
“I can’t say attending the conference has changed the school system, but I know it has made me more aware of the opportunities and the trends [in education],” Gadberry said. “It has made me a better board member.”
Reach staff writer Karen Kemp at 410-857-7890 or karen.kemp@carrollcountytimes.com.
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