This year we are seeing another round of school budget cuts that have left most school districts reeling. The near-term prospects for increased funding for next year do not look good either. Continued budget strains at the state and local levels will be exacerbated when the federal stimulus funding ends. Although the Administration’s federal budget plan for fiscal year 2011 requests $4 billion more for education than the previous year, the Administration is proposing to shift a greater percentage of federal dollars from formula-based grants to competitive grants — a move that school leaders fear will further squeeze their limited resources.
A recent survey, which polled 453 school administrators, found that the economic climate of school systems doesn’t reflect the recovery beginning to take hold in other areas. Some even predict that school budget cuts will be even greater in 2010–11 than they were in the previous two years. This will mean more layoffs and for many, postponing needed equipment purchases.
Many schools are left with a dilemma. How can they continue to accomplish their educational mission while their funding is slashed? At Hertz Furniture, we have been working with schools and school budgets for over thirty years. Over that time period, there have been many cycles of school budget cuts that have forced schools to conserve. What we have found is that by working closely with schools as they put their budgets together, we can often suggest ways that they can cut back on spending without forgoing needed investments.
It may sound surprising, but often when a school is making a major furniture purchase, they end up buying the wrong number of desks, tables, etc for their needs. That’s because schools rarely take a critical look at design when estimating their requirements. At Hertz Furniture, we offer free planning and design services so that schools can select exactly the right number of items for their needs. We can help point out where schools can trim their expenses and still fulfill all their furniture requirements.
Our experience with the cyclical nature of school budget cuts is the reason we offer great financing plans. These enable schools that are short on cash to get the furniture they need now while stretching out payments to fit with their budgetary constraints. When you need new desks before September 1 but won’t have most of your budget in place until January, we can work with you.
We offer special collections of school furniture that are ideal for tight school budgets. These collections, are ”value’ lines of school furniture that are both innovative and affordable. You do not have to sacrifice function and quality if you have to cut costs. You just need to be on the lookout for great deals on the items your school needs. We can help by highlighting special value furniture and keeping related items in one place.
We have contracts with the major school districts around the country so we have a great deal of experience dealing with all different types of school budget cycles. We also have national contracts in place to cover everyone else. Rest assured that whatever the state of your school budget, we can help you get the school furniture you need at the time you need it. It’s the reason we have been in business for so long.