TRENTON -- A lawyer representing 128 public school custodial workers facing layoffs yesterday criticized state fiscal monitor Mark Cowell for overturning a school board decision to save their jobs before the full impact of a state Supreme Court decision that could bring up to $12 million to the school district is known.
Cowell, who was assigned to the district last March after a state audit uncovered financial mismanagement, sent a letter to the school board yesterday saying he was vetoing the board's Monday decision not to eliminate 181 positions from the district's $251.8 million 2011-2012 budget. The budget was approved earlier this year without funding for the positions, which include the 128 custodians as well as 29 transportation workers, 22 paraprofessionals, and two secretaries.
While the board spared those 181 jobs on Monday, they did agree to trim 15 positions from the district's payroll. District officials say they're hoping to save nearly $7 million by eliminating those jobs.
However, a state Supreme Court decision handed down Tuesday ordered the Legislature to send $500 million to Trenton and dozens of other poor districts as part of next year's budget.
"I think his decision and his actions are entirely premature and have, unfortunately, created panic amongst the employees," Sidney Lehmann, an attorney representing the 128 custodians said of Cowell's decision. "I see absolutely no reason why he couldn't have taken a more deliberate tone in his comments."
Trenton's state aid was slashed by about $12 million last year as part of a series of deep cuts to public education across the state.
Cowell's letter to the Board of Education yesterday said that, despite the district's best efforts to find savings elsewhere in the budget, the layoffs were unavoidable.
"A meeting was held with the district's leadership team, a subcommittee of the Board of Education, and the state monitor to determine if it was possible to accommodate the abolished staff," Cowell's letter said. "Unfortunately ... it was determined that the necessary modifications could not be made. The committee cited the escalating costs of insurance and special education as two of the major factors contributing to the district's inability to save these positions."
Cowell didn't return a message seeking comment yesterday, but in an interview on Tuesday, he said any decision to override the board's vote could be rescinded if the district receives additional state aid.
Meanwhile, the district has sent out requests-for-proposal to privatize the district's janitorial and transportation services.
In an interview Tuesday, acting school superintendent Raymond Broach said the district can't afford to wait for the Legislature to take action before moving forward with the privatization initiative.
"It hasn't been determined what portion of that Trenton will get back," he said. "We're certainly very pleased with the court's findings, but we don't have an idea yet as to how much will be restored."
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