What Can You Expect From Proration?

How will your children in Mobile County Public Schools be affected by proration?
Mobile County School Superintendent Dr. Roy Nichols joined other school leaders Monday watching Governor Bob Riley's announcement by satellite that he was declaring proration, or across the board spending cuts, of 12.5 percent of the state education budget.
Nichols said, "This is, of course, a surprise."
The superintendent said he was expecting cuts of around 10 percent.
Now, he says the system will have to try to save another $10 Million.
Nichols said, "We'll do that through freezing personnel, hiring, freezing overtime, and trying to be as efficient as we can in terms of our operational costs."
Nichols said since the school system has contracts with teachers and most of its employees "we don't see people being laid off, but we do see people as they retire or resign, not filling their position."
But teacher union officials in Mobile County said that doesn't mean business as usual in schools.
When asked how proration will affect "Johnny" in the classroom, Danny Goodwin with the Mobile County Education Association said, "There's not going to be as much there for 'Johnny.' "
Goodwin said proration could mean student supplies being reduced.
Goodwin said, "All of the things that go right into the classroom, the money that's spent on providing technology, providing library books, providing classroom supplies, all of that can be cut."
And Goodwin said teacher jobs and other personnel jobs may be safe for this year, but not for next year.