Teacher Furlough Days Affect Family Budgets
Forced Unpaid Leave Causes Teachers to Cut Back
Sep 2, 2009
Teacher furlough days are a set number of days, usually three, over the course of the school year that teachers are sent home without pay instead of working. Understand these days of forced unpaid leave and learn how teachers need to adjust the family budget to compensate for the loss of wages.
What are Teacher Furlough Days?
Teacher furloughs are not days that students get a vacation from school. The days are usually scheduled on teacher work days, so teachers would have been working at school without students. Instead of working, teachers get the day off, and the pay is taken out of their paycheck. While at the end of the day teachers receive less money, they are not technically receiving a pay cut, and everyone is allowed to keep their job.
Generally the school district will choose three days out of the school year to furlough teachers and save the county large amounts of money while costing each individual teacher comparatively little. According to Dorie Turner in her September 1, 2009 Associated Press article "Schools look to teacher furloughs to trim budgets", Georgia has implemented state wide teacher furlough days this year to save nearly $135 million and other school districts around the nation are following suit.
What Do Teacher Furlough Days Cost Teachers?
In reality, while teacher furloughs are a way to save a lot of money without making huge pay cuts from any single individual, the reduced pay has a huge impact on teachers. When looking at the numbers, teachers may only lose out on about $25 per paycheck, but for those teachers who are barely making enough money to get by each month, that small amount can make a huge difference.
These days that teachers do not have to go into work are not vacation days, either. While they may not be paid for their work, teachers count on the use of teacher work days to get grading, organizing and planning done. If they do not work at school, they most likely will work at home, adding to the time that many teachers put into their jobs after school hours for no additional pay.
How to Budget for Teacher Furlough Days
It is important to plan carefully for teacher furlough days because, while the individual day may not make a big difference, the loss in pay over the year will effect the family budget. Teachers can use a budget software program that helps them chart out each expense and plan out how their money will be spent each month. Knowing where money is going through the use of a budget software program will help prepare them for the loss in income.
Some ideas for making up the difference in the budget include:
- Spending less on entertainment or eating out
- Bring lunch to school more often
- Find a part-time job, such as after school tutoring
In the end, teacher furlough days may save the school district money, but it only serves to tighten the belts of teachers even more than they already were. Many teachers are not receiving their step raises or cost of living adjustments either, making the situation even more tight for some.
Finding areas in the budget that families can cut back on can help with budgeting issues. Learn how to save money on groceries.
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