Hamilton County: School system to answer questions on buyout plan

Public school employees eligible for a proposed buyout will get a chance to direct questions about the plan to the administrators who drafted it, officials decided Thursday.

The Hamilton County Board of Education voted to hold a special meeting Jan. 8 to decide on the proposal. School officials said they will hold two question-and-answer sessions before the vote.

“However long it takes, we’ll be there to do it,” said Schools Chief Financial Officer Tommy Kranz at Thursday’s school board meeting.

The sessions will take place on Jan. 5-6 at 3:30 p.m. in the Tyner Academy auditorium, said school system spokeswoman Danielle Clark, and all eligible employees are encouraged to attend.

Mr. Kranz unveiled the proposed buyout plan Tuesday as a way to reduce the $20.2 million budget hurdle the school system faces next year. The plan would offer longtime employees eligible to retire a one-time bonus of either 10 percent or 20 percent of their salary, depending on their years of service with the district.

The logic, Mr. Kranz said, would be that by no longer paying some of the more-experienced employees with larger salaries, the district could avoid laying off a greater number of newer hires and cultivate some young talent for the future.

Although the estimated $2.1 million cost of the buyout eventually would offer the school system greater salary savings, Mr. Kranz reminded board members it would put a “great financial strain” on the district’s already burdened budget.

“I wouldn’t have made the recommendation if I didn’t think we could afford it,” he said. “But we’re really sticking our neck out there.”

Because of the size of the system’s projected deficit, Mr. Kranz said the buyouts likely would not prevent additional layoffs.

In the brief discussion Thursday surrounding the proposed buyout, several school board members cautioned administrators against offering a retirement incentive to individuals and then hiring them back the next year to work part-time.

“We need to be real careful about giving teachers the 20 percent and then telling them, ‘Come back in a year and we’ll find you a job,’” said school board member Everett Fairchild.

Connie Atkins, associate superintendent for human resources, said the school system would not plan to offer the buyout and rehire retirees part time, and certain stipulations would be made clear in any final agreement.