As many as 100 current school district employees will be laid off this year because of the poor economy, Wake County school board members learned today.
Chief Business Officer David Neter said plans are being developed to lay off 75 to 100 central services employees. Central Services covers everything not based at schools, such as the maintenance department, technology department, human resources and communications.
Neter laid out a grim budget picture in which state funding is expected to be cut and funding from the county is not expected to increase for the upcoming fiscal year.
The budget woes had resulted this school year in some teachers not being rehired, class sizes rising and fewer electives being offered.
Supt. Del Burns had previously directed administrators to make $20 million in Central Services cuts for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Comments
Other Options Should Be Considerd
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 07:29 — mssmithInstead of laying off 75-100 valuable employees and further adding to the stress on the schools, why not look at offering employees decreased hours? I'm sure most employees would be happy to work 4 days a week instead of five if it meant they could keep their jobs. Another option would be to offer employees the opportunity to take a pay cut. Now is not the time to hurt schools more by throwing away the careers of dedicated, hardworking employees who love students and make a difference in their success. Now is the time for creative, positive leadership.
Last year when state
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 22:06 — ApexterLast year when state employee layoffs were considered, I heard discussion of offering state employees the option to take voluntary furlough days. I think it would be a good thing to offer. I think a lot of people would consider taking a voluntary furlough day or two per month if they knew that, as a group, they would be sparing someone else's (or possibly their own) job.
Even though school system employees were forced to take the 10 hours of flexible furlough last year along with state employees, they are not state employees. If the forced flexible furlough idea was good enough to share, though, I think WCPSS should also share the voluntary furlough idea. I'm betting that since they've already named a number of employee layoffs, though, that the decisions have already been made.
Excellent idesa. Who makes
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 20:49 — changewcpssExcellent idesa. Who makes this decision?
These are really good
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 14:52 — jenmanThese are really good ideas. Have you sent them to the BOE/WCPSS admin?
Decreased Hours? Pay Cut?
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 10:30 — WakeCountyParentGreat idea! Question is...would Jennifer Lanane permit this?
These are all excellent
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 08:59 — woodstockThese are all excellent ideas! This way WCPSS gets to retain a lot of the talent they have accumulated and not have to orchestrate such an intensive recruiting effort when the economy finally turns back around.
More layoffs coming for school system
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 02:01 — igliigliThe school system should lay-off the coaches and other fluff before getting rid of academic personnel
Coaches are not fluff. All
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 09:14 — woodstockCoaches are not fluff. All personnel that have direct contact with students can add tremendous value to the educational experience. You must be aware that student development is about way more than classroom instruction. There are lessons in responsibility, perseverence, competition, teamwork, committment, striving for a goal, fitness, hard work, dedication and other attributes that coaches impart that is just as valuable as knowing how to bisect an angle.
Very true. Not all
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 20:48 — changewcpssVery true. Not all learning goes on in the classroom, and coaches can be the biggest influence some of these kids will have in school.
Yup...
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 08:37 — Bob_SconceTeachers should be the last thing to go. So, it makes you wonder why teachers were laid off LAST year and others are being laid off THIS year.
I "wonder" about as long as
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 09:16 — woodstockI "wonder" about as long as it takes me to remember who was sitting on the BoE then and who is on it now.