Last week we told you about the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen looking at the possibility of a referendum vote to merge the city school system with the county.
On Thursday the city school board came up with a plan they hope will stop the merger talk.
The proposal includes $600,000-worth of cuts that the city would no longer have to provide the schools. The proposal also called for cuts in administrative pay and cuts to school system staff. Another part of the school system proposal is a reduction in the director of schools salary. Dr Keith Brewer’s pay would drop from his current $120,000 per year to $80,000. Apparently this is Brewer’s idea. Also included, the board would break a controversial three-year, contract with board attorney Mark Williams that moved the central office into the 7,000 square-foot building that formerly housed Williams’ law office. The lease would have cost the system just under $150,000 over three years. The ideas were presented to the finance office on Thursday by school board member Travis Hillis. According to sources no full time teaching position would be cut.
One big question remains, the state Board of Education approved the school system’s current budget and that big of a change may be impossible to do this year.
The Manchester board of Education will meet Monday in special called meeting at 4pm.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen are set to meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20 with no school business on the agenda at this time.
Manchester City School Board Hopes To Stop Merger Talks With New Proposal
