June 5, 2012; Source: Tulsa World

Tulsa Public School Superintendent Keith Ballard recently eliminated 75 teacher positions because Federal Jobs Bill funding ran out, but now 15 of those jobs will be saved due to a one-time donation of $600,000 by an anonymous donor. Another 16 to 17 teachers will be saved through attrition in administrative staff, and one elementary school raised $42,000 to save the job of their science teacher.

The superintendent is not jubilant, and anticipates more pain and uncertainty ahead. “As we think about next year, there are still too many unknowns out there for us to say what we will do with the budget,” Ballard said. “I have gone to outside sources, and we have had an anonymous donor step up and pledge to us 15 teacher allocations, which costs a little over $600,000.”

That’s one time. You can’t do that indefinitely.” –Ruth McCambridge