Eubanks had questions, Handelman has answers

COEUR d'ALENE — During last month's meeting of the Coeur d'Alene School District Board of Trustees, Trustee Dave Eubanks had some questions.

On Monday night, at the October board meeting, Superintendent Matt Handelman provided Eubanks with answers to those questions.

"There were a few questions asked publically, and I want to make sure I address and answer them publically as well," Handelman said. "Some of them I probably could have answered last time, but I wanted to make sure I had accurate information."

Before asking the questions last month, Eubanks said he had to raise them because of a trend in deficit spending beginning in 2012. For the upcoming fiscal year, the trustee said, the district is planning on another $2.5 million in deficit spending, including the "shortfall" created during the construction of Winton Elementary.

Handleman addressed each of Eubanks' questions, beginning with one raised about the superintendent's expense account. Handelman said each month his contract, which was negotiated and approved by the board of trustees, allots $1,000 for expenses — a rate that has been in place since 2008.

"As the face of the district, I am expected to be in and around town at all sorts of fundraisers and events," Handelman said. "The account is to help pay for attendance and things like that."

He added that no other member of district administration has a similar account.

Members of the board were allowed to ask questions between each of Handelman's answers. After the first, Eubanks said he had a suggestion.

Since the expense account funds are part of the superintendent's taxable salary, Eubanks said perhaps Handelman could "keep receipts on everything you spend," in lieu of taking the $12,000 each year.

"Then you can write it off as a business expense," Eubanks said. "That way you save tax money, we can get the $12,000, and that is a start to cutting our budget's expenses. I'm just trying to identify some ways we can cut our deficit spending."

Board Chair Christa Hazel commented that contract negotiations with a public employee are handled during a specific period of time, under executive session. Only after a contract agreement has been reached does it become public information, she said.

"All good thoughts," Hazel said. "We just can't enter into the conversation."

"It's the thought that counts," Eubanks replied.

The next question concerned travel expenses in the district. During the recession, Handelman said, the district put a halt to the majority of requests to attend conferences and other events.

In the last two years, the district has reopened the door to traveling outside the district for what Handelman called "much-needed professional development." Each time that happens, the employee who wishes to travel for professional development must go through a number of steps, and several layers of approval, to establish a connection between the trip and what the employee's job responsibilities are.

"That applies to every position, including my own," Handelman said.

Another large portion of the district's travel budget is for mileage reimbursement, which the superintendent said goes to teachers, administrators and other staff whose duties require them to drive throughout the district.

"For example, last year the entire travel budget was less than $60,000," Handelman said. "About half of it is just for the mileage reimbursement that I mentioned. So that's left about $30,000 for travel for teachers, administrators and classified employees to attend job-related training."

Administrative raises were also called into question by Eubanks, who said there is $1.25 million budgeted for salary and benefits for Handelman and his cabinet. Handelman said the exact impact on the general fund is $1.12 million, and that those funds could only hire approximately 17 teachers, not the 30 Eubanks had estimated.

There were 31 salaries increased two years ago, Handelman said, which were referred to as "administrative raises." Of the 31, only three were administrators and only one of the three still works in the district.

"Some of them affected the general fund and some didn't," Handelman said.

"Unlike teachers and the classified staff, there's no salary schedule for central administrators," he added. "The only way to compensate those individuals is to be working with them individually. We want to attract and retain great administrators."

Finally, Handleman touched on Eubanks' questions suggesting that administration refused to make any spending cuts during the budgeting process.

"The administration is in full agreement that we need to tighten our belts and stop the deficit spending," Handelman said. "We're all on the same page on that one."

Eubanks then asked the board and administration in attendance whether there was a plan in place to reduce deficit spending and rebuild reserves.

"The first thing we need to do is stop deficit spending," Handelman replied. "Then, in terms of rebuilding, each year you build a budget where you hope that you don't spend as much as you take in. We've been planning to spend more than we take in for several years, because we had that reserve."

"As long as we're on the same page, you have my complete support," Eubanks said.