Cell phone fund cuts YUHSD costs

The Yuma Union High School District has adopted a new cell phone stipend program that district officials say should save money.

The program, adopted recently on a 5-0 vote by the governing board, could cut expenses for that item almost in half, Superintendent Richard Faidley said.

"We have a $30,000-a-year expense on cell phones now, but we could save more than $16,000 of what we currently spend," Faidley said.

As of now, the district provides cell phones for those employees whose job function requires them to stay in communication with the district administration throughout school hours. But those cell phones are restricted for business use only.

Frequently staff must carry two cell phones so they are able to make personal calls as well. Through the stipend program, the number of employees authorized to carry a district phone will be limited.

This will typically include supervisory personnel such the district superintendent, associate superintendents, principals, directors of maintenance, procurement and research. About 30 district employees have had cell phones, and that will now be limited to just 16 to 18. Faidley said.

"The stipend will go into the employees' own compensation and they can purchase their own phone and use it for district business or personal use," he said.

Each employee in the stipend program receives $70 per month, which will be treated as salary for federal and state withholding purposes. Each employee must purchase his or her own cell phone account, and all costs of phone service will be borne by the employee, Faidley said.

"The main reasons for the stipend program is a cost-saving measure and employees remain in contact for emergencies. One of the expectations of the governing board is to reduce costs. By being efficient with expenditures in our budget, we can direct the savings back into the classroom where students can benefit most."

Casey Reyes, YUHSD director of maintenance, said the stipend program is a positive movement to save time and money. She added it was a constant struggle to manage different phone plans.

James Sheldahl, Gila Ridge High School principal, said the plan is very fair.

"Nobody wants to carry two phones," Sheldahl said. "It can be a bit cumbersome and this streamlines things."

Different personnel have different needs or uses for the phone, he said. Yet now supervisory staff can customize their phone plans for long distance, texting or whatever feature suits their needs, Sheldahl said.

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William Roller can be reached at
wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.