We haven't Seen Nothing Yet

Education is feeling the crunch of less dollars. Every county is not being asked but basically being told you must make cuts because you are not going to be getting the money that you have from the past.

Being politicians you always want to make cuts where the least people will be hurt. In the case of North Carolina where is the obvious and easiest. The double dippers. We have a system in North Carolina where we don't reward people for long tenured service. When your thirty years are up there is no incentive to stay.

So there is a teacher shortage. How does the state remedy that shortage but rehire teachers who are retired. It would make a lot of sense to me to give a gradual increase in retirement benefits for a teacher to stay thirty eight years instead of thirty. As it is now we not only pay for their retirement but also pay them to come back and teach.

I guess you are wondering what this rant is all about. John Gay the athletic director at Fike has resigned now that he has thirty years in and is leaving Fike. Fike has lost their football coach boys basketball coach and now the AD and girls basketball coach.

All of these cuts will effect sports as much as any area in the school system. Just look this year at Pat Smith at Rocky Mount. This season he had two volunteer coaches helping him. Tom and Hank Jones truly love Gryphon athletics. You know Gryphon football didn't have a full staff last year.

Cuts are coming. There is no denying that.

It would not shock me at all to hear the state say in order to save thirty million state wide that four days a week school days could happen. Think of the gas money saved it they went to a four day a week and one hour a day longer.

All of this pressure to make cuts puts stress on the lives of those who know deep in their heart that they could be one of the cuts. My industry has been under that threat since the fall of last year. It has now hit the education business.

Our economy is showing signs of recovery but in the state budget business it is how much money do we have on July 1st of each year that counts. So what ever cuts happen will last until at least next July.

Don't be surprised More cuts are coming. I can see the day just like travel league ball. If you want to play your parents must get you there, the county will not provide travel. Laugh if you will but I can assure you it has been talked about in some conference room some where.

So John Gay at Fike and Pat Smith are retiring. Don't be surprised at any other name you might hear.