Did Board Give Clarification to Rock Hill Schools Administration?

At the Rock Hill School Board work session last Monday, each trustee answered a series of questions in the hope this would give direction to the administration for finalizing next years budget. The questions and answers are below:

How much are we willing to reduce the fund balance over the next two years?
Norwood - $3 million a year for a total of 6 million.
Vining - Only use the fund balance to save jobs and minimize salary cuts, use as much money as necessary for those purposes.
Brown - Do not let fund balance drop below $10 million.
Douglas - Use fund balance to keep staff and programs to benefit children.
Reid - Maintain programs and staff. $3 million a year for a total of $6 million.
Rentschler - Don not let fund balance drop below $10 million
Silverman - Take whatever it is to protect jobs and class size is not increased significantly; furlough to save jobs.

How many days are we willing to furlough employees?
Norwood - 5 teacher days and 10 administration days to ensure no layoffs.
Vining - Not willing to furlough, although we should certainly furlough to protect jobs if necessary.
Brown - Not willing to furlough. There are other ways to get around furloughs.
Douglas - Furlough as a last resort; but have a plan to use maximum if needed.
Reid - Furlough as a last resort; could it be done in one day increments?
Rentschler - Maximum 5/10
Silverman - 3 teacher days and 6 administration days.

Do we believe in "equal sacrifice but not equal dollars?" Does everyone get cut a certain percentage?
Norwood - Equal sacrifice percentage
Vining - Equal sacrifice percentage
Brown - Equal sacrifice percentage
Douglas - Equal sacrifice percentage
Reid - Equal sacrifice percentage
Rentschler - Equal sacrifice percentage
Silverman - Equal sacrifice percentage

After all the cuts, if we end up with a surplus from the current school year, where should we apply it for 09-10?
Norwood - Back into fund balance
Vining - Back into fund balance
Brown - Put it back into operations; apply to front end of the next year's budget.
Douglas - Back into fund balance
Reid - Use it in the next year's operating fund; back off furlough days.
Rentschler - Use it in the next year's operating fund; back off furlough days.
Silverman - Leave in fund balance.

Are we willing to increase class size? If so, by how many students?
Norwood - Whatever it takes to balance budget and not layoff teachers; increase class size by 1 through attrition.
Vining - Figure out a way to manage larger class size; not an issue over the next two years because projections are average class size would only increase by 1 student.
Brown - Short-term furlough will take care of budget without increase in class size. Need long term discussion.
Douglas - Look at grade level, 3rd grade stay small, 1 student, 2 would be max.
Reid - Administration to maximize staff; flexibility needed to meet needs of students.
Rentschler - Want to get further into the budget process. Middle School core classes and labs need to remain small.
Silverman - Do not want to increase class size.