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E-mail StoryKern High School District to cut 38 teachers
| Monday, Mar 10 2008 10:17 AM
Last Updated: Monday, Mar 10 2008 3:58 PM
The Kern High School District this week will notify 38 teachers that they may not have jobs next year.
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The 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.
If these cuts are implemented, next year’s class sizes may increase by three students, Bill Jones, assistant superintendent of personnel, said.
Ten administrators, such as deans, will also be notified that they still have jobs but they will no longer be in management roles, he said. 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, 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, Dennis Scott, associate superintendent of business, said.
The district had planned for the loss of about 90 teaching jobs, but 57 will be eliminated through retirements and other attrition, figures showed.
By Wednesday, KHSD will determine which teachers to notify, Jones said.
Decisions are based on factors including seniority, credentialing, extracurricular activities and evaluations.
The Bakersfield City School District, which stands to lose $19 million, will meet tonight to vote on similar measures.
The elementary district, with more than 25,000 students, has not released its estimates on teacher cuts.
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 education funding.
The final budget will not be complete for several months, but districts must notify teachers and administrators by March 15 of potential layoffs. Teachers notified this week may be called back if circumstances improve.
Fruitvale School District, a 3,100-student elementary district in the northwest, will meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to recommend the potential elimination of six certificated employees and 15 classified positions.