Pennsylvania sick day payouts show schools have a spending – not funding – problem

Pennsylvania sick day payouts show schools have a spending – not funding – problem - EAGnews.org

"But before Gov.-elect Wolf writes a blank check to the state’s schools, he would be wise to take a peek at their spending habits.

He might discover that the real problem is not a lack of revenue, but how the schools traditionally spend billions of dollars they receive every year.

A major problem is excessive labor spending, mostly due to overly generous labor policies, like paid absence policies.

The Pittsburgh school district is a perfect example.

The district is facing a potential $26 million budget deficit in the fall, a fact that has drawn the attention of the local media.

In the 2013-14 academic year, it spent approximately $13.6 million on salaries for teachers and other employees who were not at work, as well as compensation for unused sick days for those with good attendance.

That fact has not gotten much media coverage.

The main source of the sick day waste is the collective bargaining agreement between the school district and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers.

Teachers employed for the “normal work year” get 12 days of paid sick leave per year, with “such sick leave to accumulate annually without limit and to be usable annually without limit.” Those who work longer than the normal school year can qualify for up to 15 paid sick days per year..."