By Cate Lecuyer
BEVERLY — Superintendent James Hayes yesterday fended off a statement by the mayor comparing hiring in the schools to job cuts in the city.
In his State of the City address Monday, Mayor Bill Scanlon said the school district added 23 jobs last year while the city cut 10, describing a tough financial picture and possible cuts or layoffs next year.
"When you just throw these numbers out there, there's the impression the school district is out of control," Hayes said yesterday.
In fact, Hayes said, many of the new positions were either paid for by grants, are self-sustaining or were existing jobs that were not counted in 2008 but were in 2009.
"That number of 23 is so flawed," he said.
On the city side, the number of employees on the payroll decreased from 306 in 2008 to 296 in 2009 after 14 people took an incentive to retire, or left for their own reasons, Scanlon said. Although some of the positions were filled, it resulted in a total reduction of 10 jobs.
On the school side, the number of employees rose from 627 in 2008 to 650 in 2009.
"All of these positions are likely educationally desirable, and certainly education remains the No. 1 priority in the mind of most Beverly citizens," Scanlon said in his speech. "It cannot, however, be our only priority."
It's not the first time the mayor and superintendent have sparred over the number of jobs.
In 2006, the pair publicly disagreed over whether the schools had added jobs or cut them.
Hayes is gathering information to explain each of the new jobs, which add up to the equivalent of 23 full-time positions. He said many of the positions — like additional aides — were created using stimulus money at no cost to the city.
"The purpose is to create new programs and new jobs," he said. "We recognize it's going to go away, but in the meantime ..."
Other positions — like a nursing assistant who was on maternity leave — were covered by long-term substitutes and therefore didn't count as full-time jobs in 2008. But when the permanent staffers returned in 2009, the city counted those positions as new jobs, Hayes said.
Still other positions — like a facilities manager to operate the high-tech computer system in the new high school — were indeed new, but self-sustainable, Hayes said. The facilities manager, for instance, is also coming up with ways to cut down on utility costs.
"The money saved there will more than pay for his salary," Hayes said. "Was he hired in the fall? Yeah. Was it a good use of money? Yeah."
He also combated Scanlon's push to hire more part-time employees, saying the district has tried, but it's difficult to find interested candidates.
Yet with educational spending accounting for more than $60 million in the city's $100 million budget, changes need to be made, Scanlon said. The $60 million includes spending outside the $44 million school budget.
Scanlon also pointed out the higher health insurance costs for the district, saying 650 employees work for the schools, while 296 work for the city. Between employees and their dependents, along with retirees and their dependents, the city covers about 3,000 people, Scanlon said.
"I understand where the mayor's concerns are," Hayes said. "And that's the burgeoning number of people taking health care. Yet we're trying to use the dollars we get from the city, and the dollars we get from grants, wisely."
He said the school district offers the best possible programs and services, working within the available budget.
"Did our numbers go up?" Hayes asked. "Yeah. But are we using the city money wisely? You betcha. So don't portray us as an organization that can't control our expenses."
Staff writer Cate Lecuyer can be reached at clecuyer@salem news.com.
