ideasfortps.com

Operational Savings

Change Teacher contract so teachers can collect unemployment during summer layoff.

Submitted by LibsCanBlowMe on Thu, 04/01/2010 - 18:01

I always wondered, why does the contract the Teachers Union has not allow teachers to collect unemployment during their "summer layoff"?

Other Unions get to collect unemployment during their layoff periods. Why not the Teachers Union?

Here's the plan.
1) Base the Teachers Union Contract on the UAW contract to the extent that during layoff periods, a non-working teacher can collect unemployment.

10% Reduction Across The Board

Submitted by allin on Tue, 03/16/2010 - 12:19

It has been said that the budget crises will amount to 10% of the total budget. During the last 2 years many organizations across the nation have faced similar challenges, in fact most of them would have been ecstatic to only have been/be facing only a 10% cut. Many many business have cut costs across the board in the last few years, knowing that thery either took drastic steps or they would go out of business. So, TPS ought to immediately cut all salaries by 10%, and tell every department and building that their budget is cut by 10%.

Implement district school choice

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:57

If you remove district boundaries, schools would need to be much more efficient in their operation. Students would flock toward the good schools rather quickly, and bad schools would be forced to get better and become innovative. This competition will create efficiencies.

Outsource school maintenence

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:55

TPSInsider writes "An article in the Detroit News said Jackson Public Schools expects to save $193 per student per year by contracting out school maintenance.

See: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061124/OPINION01/611...

Try to resolve problems first by making a phone call not using a lawyer

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:54

In a similar vein like the be polite thread, if the district has a problem, they should first try to call or contact the person in question using staff to see if it can be resolved. They should not first hire a lawyer at taxpayer expense when something most likely could have been worked out in a conversation with staff member.

LED Exit Signs

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:52

Ask your custodian what types of light bulbs are used in corridors, classrooms and EXIT signs. Florida's Broward School District is saving $100,000 a year by replacing 40 watt light bulbs with three watt LED bulbs in its EXIT signs.

Source

Turn off computers

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:50

Turn off computers and lights when you leave school. A computer left on 24 hours a day wastes $224 a year in electricity. By shutting off their 60,000 computers at the end of the school day, students in Clark County School District in Nevada will save over $1 million in energy costs by year-end 2002.

Source

Use school facilities for meetings and banquets

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:48

Use school facilities for meetings and banquets
Posted on Thursday, November 16 @ 18:00:00 EST by chrismyers

Using free school district meeting rooms for teacher training and banquets instead of renting commercial space.

Source

Use more in house experts

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:41

Using "free" in-house experts for teacher training sessions instead of paying outside experts.

Source

VOIP for communications

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:40

Chicago Public Schools deploys citywide VoIP to cut costs, improve communication VoIP to lift $6-million Centrex weight off the city of broad shoulders, IT officials say. By Phil Hochmuth, NetworkWorld.com, 11/07/06 The Chicago Public Schools, the nation's third-largest school system, is starting a five-year VoIP rollout this month to improve communications among teachers and parents, while slashing millions of dollars in recurring telecom and maintenance expenses out of the school's budget, city IT officials say.Read the entire Network World article here.

Reduce the number of checking accounts to only the most critical

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:38

Consolidate activity funds. This will save on fees charged for the accounts, and the time required to reconcile the accounts. Spring ISD consolidated several accounts and saved more than $1,000 annually.

From 101 ways to save money.

Negotiate a new depository contract

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:38

Make sure every checking account earns interest. Watch the type of bank account the district has. Ask for a monthly bank account analysis to confirm the transaction fees charged to the account even if the district maintains a compensating balance. Ricardo ISD’s bank pays interest on all accounts, and the district is earning an additional $7,000 annually through better investing practices. Smithville ISD’s bank didn’t offer a sweep account recommended by TSPR, so the district used this leverage to encourage the bank to increase interest by nearly $9,000 annually.

From 101 ways to save money.

Convert several schools to charter schools

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:31

Anonymous writes "This would allow the district to be exempt from some of the unfunded madates of the state, and would allow TPS to directly compete with charter schools who are drawing away the local students."

Reward employees that save money

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:29

TPSInsider writes "Provide a financial incentive program for employees who what to save money. If you reward those who save money, you will have more people looking for ways to save money.
"

Combine Transportation

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:28

Anonymous writes "Students at Grover Patterson Academy and Toledo Technology Academy dismiss school at the same time, but have seperate busses for each school. The TTA students ride busses that are nearly empty.
As students at these 2 schools come from all over the city, they should be combined on the same bus for the ride home.
If GPA changed their starting time to match that of TTA, then the students could ride the same bus to school.

Savings $100,000 for the trip home, another $100,000 if they rode to school together
"

Open Source Software

Submitted by ToledoPlusPlus on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:27

Open Source Software
Posted on Friday, October 20 @ 18:33:30 EDT by chrismyers

toledoplusplus writes "The cost of specific hardware support and software licensing, costs for running administrative computers as well as computer labs for students can be high. Open source software is free, and if TPS *needed* external tech support they could go with Red Hat Linux.

Estimated Savings: $100,000: http://www.networkworld.com/weblogs/smb/2006/012953.html

Eliminate board discretionary fund

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:26

Anonymous writes "What about getting rid of the discressionary fund for board members? TPS can close schools and furlough teachers, but the board spends money like crazy. "

Eliminate positions in the board building

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:23

Anonymous writes "Get rid of some of the people down at the board that are doing nothing. There are times when you walk in and there are people just wandering around, drinking coffee in the hallway talking about the latest scores from the day before, or going here or there with no specific destination in mind. Some of these people do not do much of anything and they get a substancial salary."

Decentralize district

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:12

Decentralize district
Posted on Wednesday, October 18 @ 13:59:55 EDT by chrismyers

TPSInsider writes "While not really a cost savings idea, I bet the district could get more bang for the buck by decentralizing the district. This could eliminate some administration positions.

See "Schools take a lesson from big business" at USA Today at the address:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-03-08-principals...
"

Recycle to save money

Submitted by chrismyers on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:10

EagleEyes writes "Found this story at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Schools/WasteReduce/Models/Districts.htm