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E-mail StoryLayoffs loom for teachers
BCSD avoids cuts, but KHSD may ax nearly 40 positions
| Monday, Mar 10 2008 10:40 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Mar 10 2008 11:21 PM
The Bakersfield City School District, Kern County's largest elementary district, announced Monday it will not lay off teachers next year because it expects enough employees to retire or leave the district.
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The Kern High School District, the county's most populous school district, while also saving some jobs through attrition, decided to notify 38 teachers that they may not have jobs next year.
Fruitvale School District, a 3,100-student elementary district in the northwest, will recommend notifying six certificated employees and 15 classified positions, including office aides and custodians, at its board meeting today, Superintendent Carl Olsen said.
BCSD SPARED LAYOFFS, FOR NOW
Expected attrition should pave the way for 75 positions -- comprising six management and 69 other bargaining positions, which includes teachers -- to be reassigned, said BCSD Superintendent Michael Lingo.
But the budget process is not over.
Classified staffing will be reviewed at the April board meeting, he said, and programs could be on the table as well.
Monday's decision is a better outlook for teachers and families, according to Carol Reichert, president of the Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association. But "the budget crisis, it is real. It's not going away."
BCSD, with more than 25,000 students, must cut about $9.3 million, Lingo said, and the attrition does not completely cover that.
KHSD TO CUT 38
KHSD's board Monday voted 4-0, with one member absent, to approve a plan to cut about 2 percent of its teaching staff: 33 high school teachers, none in math or English, and all five Lerdo Jail teachers.
Ten administrators, such as deans, will also be notified that they still have jobs but they will no longer be in management roles, said Bill Jones, assistant superintendent of personnel. And some counselors will transition into the classroom.
While KHSD continues to plan for $24 million in budget reductions, more cuts could be coming, including to programs and classified staff, Jones said.
KHSD serves about 37,000 students and expects to grow by another 750 next year. If the district could be fully staffed next year, it would have 180 more employees than it can afford with these cuts, said Dennis Scott, associate superintendent of business.
The district had planned for the loss of about 90 teaching jobs, but 57 will be eliminated through retirements and other attrition, figures showed.
If these cuts are implemented, some classes may grow by a few students, Jones said, but ninth-grade English and math will maintain a maximum of 21 students.
THE STATE CRISIS
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in January proposed 10 percent cuts across the state to combat a now-projected $16 billion budget shortfall, including a $4.4 billion cut to next year's education funding.
The final budget will not be complete for several months, but districts must notify certificated staff of potential layoffs by March 15. Classified employees must be notified 45 days prior to the effective date. BCSD and KHSD will discuss classified jobs at their April board meetings, Lingo and Jones said.
Employees may be called back to work if circumstances improve.