Teaching posts axed in CC
Seven classroom teaching positions, one central office administrator post, and three other school system jobs fell victim last night to the budget cutting ax in Charles City.
County School Board members voted unanimously to approve the job cuts to balance a 2008-09 budget that totals just under $13 million. The revised budget, however, provides a 2 percent pay hike for teachers and all employees. Next year’s teacher pay scale begins at $36,500 for year one and rises in 33 steps to a top level of $55,283.
Where school officials felt the pinch came in terms of county money for schools. The School Board had asked for $7 million in local dollars, a figure $900,000 less than the $6.1 million the county is providing.
Board members learned during a May 1 work session that school officials had no choice but to reduce teaching and staff positions. Last night (Tuesday), the cuts became official.
Two teaching posts (social studies and choral director) are being eliminated at the high school. At the middle school, one English and a special education position are to be trimmed. Three teaching positions are slated for elimination at the elementary school, but grade levels have not been determined, school superintendent Janet Crawley said.
One teaching post is being vacated by retirement and will not be filled while the other six spots involve teachers not returning to the system, she said.
Crawley declined to identify which central office administrator position is on the chopping block. Of the other three jobs, one is expected to be an aide while another is a part-time post that was not specified, but earlier reports pointed to security. The schools’ food service director, meanwhile, has resigned, and the post is not being filled.
“In my 10 years on this board, this has been the toughest budget year I have ever encountered,” board chairman Barbara Crawley told the sparse crowd that remained for the budget part of last night’s meeting.
Earlier, more than 50 parents and students packed the meeting room as board members honored student accomplishments in art, band, and poetry along with Odyssey of the Mind and stock market game competition. But one county resident, Elenora Robinson, told the board those student achievements lauded earlier could suffer in the wake of teacher reductions.
“How in world do we pass the SOLs or anything else if you’re going to sit still and cut classroom teachers?” Robinson fired at the board.
“We’re doing the best with what we’ve got, and we do not intend to leave any child behind,” Barbara Crawley responded. “We don’t want to cut teachers, but we don’t have the money. As the old saying goes, you can’t get blood out of a turnip.”
There could, however, be some monetary relief after the current fiscal year ends on June 30. County officials have agreed to consider returning, or at least sharing, any leftover county money that has been appropriated for schools, Janet Crawley told the board. But school officials are not expecting a windfall.
“If that occurs, it gives us avenues to reinstate some of the cuts and hire some people back,” the superintendent told the board.
Afterward, she said she expects no more than two positions to be reinstated if money becomes available. County supervisors could take up the matter of leftover school money during their meeting next Tuesday.