ARE THE TEACHERS OF PICKERINGTON LOCAL SCHOOLS PAYING ATTENTION?
City schools might cut 116 jobs
Plan is a result of district's 'fiscal caution' designation
By CARL BURNETT JR.
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
cburnett@nncogannett.com
LANCASTER - Lancaster City Schools is looking at cutting 116 people from its payroll to balance its budget this year following the failure of the tax levy Feb. 7.
The proposal came on the same day as the Fairfield County Board of Elections certified the special election results. The elections board on Thursday reported no major changes in the results. Voters defeated the school levy by a final vote of 5,264 to 4,196 or 55.64 percent to 44.36 percent.
''I'm devastated. We all are,'' said Mike Summers, president of the Lancaster School Support Association. ''I have no words to describe my emotions right now.''
Under the plan introduced to the Lancaster City Schools Board of Education on Thursday, 38 of Summers' 241 union members are going to be cut. Other employees to be cut include 12 administrators and 66.5 certified teachers.
Superintendent Denise Callihan presented the plan. It included a reduction of $365,711 in miscellaneous expenses.
The estimated savings is $4,658,703, but the district would be responsible for $844,000 in unemployment compensation payments.
''But this would leave us with a carryover of $200,000 for the next year,'' Callihan said.
The plan is a state requirement resulting from the district's recent designation of being in ''fiscal caution.''
The fiscal caution designation means the school board has until April 3 to submit a balanced budget for the next two years and develop five-year forecast.
If the school board fails to make the cuts and fails to submit a balanced budget to the state, the state could declare the system to be in fiscal emergency - risking a takeover by the state Board of Education.
Board President Patti Moore said the cuts are going to be devastating to many people.
''These are real people's lives that are going to be affected,'' Moore said. ''There are going to be changes in attitude that we can't take lightly.''
Callihan said that though the numbers were announced Thursday night, the administration needed time to talk to the union leaders and personnel being cut.
''I can say we are not happy,'' said Jim White, president of the Lancaster Education Association. ''We just got the figures (Thursday) so we have to go back and look at the numbers and find out who this is going to affect and who is going to lose their jobs. We could see teachers with as much as 20 years' experience being forced out.''
Originally published February 24, 2006
By Can't do with without
City schools might cut 116 jobs
Plan is a result of district's 'fiscal caution' designation
By CARL BURNETT JR.
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
cburnett@nncogannett.com
LANCASTER - Lancaster City Schools is looking at cutting 116 people from its payroll to balance its budget this year following the failure of the tax levy Feb. 7.
The proposal came on the same day as the Fairfield County Board of Elections certified the special election results. The elections board on Thursday reported no major changes in the results. Voters defeated the school levy by a final vote of 5,264 to 4,196 or 55.64 percent to 44.36 percent.
''I'm devastated. We all are,'' said Mike Summers, president of the Lancaster School Support Association. ''I have no words to describe my emotions right now.''
Under the plan introduced to the Lancaster City Schools Board of Education on Thursday, 38 of Summers' 241 union members are going to be cut. Other employees to be cut include 12 administrators and 66.5 certified teachers.
Superintendent Denise Callihan presented the plan. It included a reduction of $365,711 in miscellaneous expenses.
The estimated savings is $4,658,703, but the district would be responsible for $844,000 in unemployment compensation payments.
''But this would leave us with a carryover of $200,000 for the next year,'' Callihan said.
The plan is a state requirement resulting from the district's recent designation of being in ''fiscal caution.''
The fiscal caution designation means the school board has until April 3 to submit a balanced budget for the next two years and develop five-year forecast.
If the school board fails to make the cuts and fails to submit a balanced budget to the state, the state could declare the system to be in fiscal emergency - risking a takeover by the state Board of Education.
Board President Patti Moore said the cuts are going to be devastating to many people.
''These are real people's lives that are going to be affected,'' Moore said. ''There are going to be changes in attitude that we can't take lightly.''
Callihan said that though the numbers were announced Thursday night, the administration needed time to talk to the union leaders and personnel being cut.
''I can say we are not happy,'' said Jim White, president of the Lancaster Education Association. ''We just got the figures (Thursday) so we have to go back and look at the numbers and find out who this is going to affect and who is going to lose their jobs. We could see teachers with as much as 20 years' experience being forced out.''
Originally published February 24, 2006
By Can't do with without
