Layoff notices have been sent to some teachers of art, vocational education and Chinese in the Edmonds School District.Altogether, the district did a reduction in force of 1.5 full-time equivalent, or FTE, certificated positions, said Debbie Carter, assistant superintendent of human resources. The teachers taught part-time.
The positions were reduced because of declining enrollment, which brings in less funding from the state. Enrollment in those specific areas was low, and the teachers had limited certification so couldn't be assigned to other areas, Carter said.
The programs, including Chinese, will still be offered, she said.Altogether, the district closed 21 certificated positions this year due to declining enrollment. Most of those people were reassigned and not laid off, thanks to retirements and resignations.
The district had a deadline of May 15 to send layoff notices to certificated employees.In addition, the district has eliminated other positions to help fill a roughly $3 million budget gap. The gap comes from declining enrollment and other factors, including raises for teachers that are mandated but not fully funded by the state.
The district has closed 3.5 FTE administrative positions that worked out of the district office and 12.5 FTE classified positions.
The 12.5 FTE classified positions closed include office personnel at the schools and the district office, though the majority of them are at the district office, Carter said. It also includes some paraeducator positions, professional technical positions and volunteer coordinators.
In addition to that, officials are looking to cut about $269,000 in paraeducator hours.
Job cuts and other cuts related to the budget gap will be discussed at community meetings this month and in June.
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By Sarah Koenig
Enterprise reporter
Editor: Chinese character above means "Get Out!"
18 comments:
And again, Chuck Penney was given the boot because he was a good supervisor, correct?
Why would Marla and Chuck Penney approve a $100,000.00 truck that was not needed for the warehouse when they both are using low enrollment as the reason for all of the layoffs? Marla, you should take a fkn walk with that brain dead thug of a penny. How do you sleep at night? If I can disrupt that snore at any level, I will! Beware ugly one! I am too big for either of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There were real issues mentioned in comments that I couldn't post. Please refrain from inappropriate terminology.
I am very interested to learn more about the purchase of a $100,000.00 truck in the midst of budget cuts and staff layoffs.
Do you know how it was purchased? From what agency or organization? Could a special friend of management be the seller of this vehicle?
In all likelihood, the truck was purchased using funds in one of the districts longterm savings plans. Warehouse and Maintainance are both well known for setting aside funds over several years to purchase large items. Given the changes for next year it looks like a use it or lose it thing
I recently read a quote attributed to be from Mark Twain, "First God made idiots. That was for practise. Then he made school boards."
While I doubt that Mr. Twain had any direct knowledge of Edmonds, the shoe seems tailor made.
Rubber brains are trimmed easily into rubber stamps.
Has anyone contacted Sara and asked if she was aware that we have the second highest paid superintendent in the state. Or that we have seven assistant superintendents. Or that a large number of management positions were created and hired for last year (none of them being cut).
Perhaps she could write an article about how the District's superintendent salary is appropriate to the Board's philosophy of average compensation?
Well, in this case the need for the truck was becomming apparent 3 years aog when you look at the repairs that were needed (sagging springs, rotten wood floor, low power. etc.). In this case the district identified the need, requested bids, and awarded the the contract to the lowest bidder.
It was purchased by the moving of certian funds around in the warehouse budget as well as having to be a budget line item for the next x number of years (I don't remember the exact number but it may be 6 years total). It was all above the board (this time :) ) as I was there for the bid opening.
And in the case of the responder hawiianbarbq (yes, we all know who your are, o disgruntled one) his posts show the state of education that the State of Washington gives to its citizens is slowly declining and soon I expect english will be taught using the rules of IM's. But this (poor english usage and questionable math skills) is and should be the subject of other postings and in no way reflects personally upon the workers of the warehouse.
(a former employee of the district who was a budget reduction line item)
Yet the cut to the # of students in the IB program remains, with no funding to the "new honors programs" supposedly set to run at the other high schools. Wonder how they're going to pull that off now, with even lower funding and stretched staff?
Again, it's the kids who lose: how many lost the opportunity to be in IB this year, with the district smiling and holding out this "comparable new programs" carrot that will never materialize.
Maybe we need a levy for academic programs.
Rich Semler dropped out of the superintendent race.
I heard that the truck in question is not even paid for. It would be very interesting to know if and how it was funded? How about why it was funded? 100K could be a couple of salaries for a period of time. And it is a tough purchase to justify amidst layoffs and cutbacks throughout the district.
Truck is #757.
Rich Semler- health issues for his wife. Bless them.
This is another loss for the students of Washington. He had been a champion of sanity regarding the cost, effectiveness and use of the WASL. Hopefully, an equally qualified person of the same philosophy will step forward to continue his work.
The district lets Penney go with an honorable discharged. They will never admit they have been wrong about this guy.
The District cannot "admit" anything. To "admit" any misjudgements, errors, stupidity or malice would put them at greater legal risk. To "admit" they were wrong about employing Penny would put them at risk for the results any of his actions.
This is why there are all these secret "settlement agreements" floating out of the Head Shed. It's not just the District but all businesses. Legal settlements frequently include a payout but the company paying out doesn't admit to legal responsibility. That way they can keep on doing what they've been doing.
Nothing changes. Same stuff; different day.
Added to this is the fact that Nick refuses to advertise success at the expense of enrollment in neighboring districts. They can't admit to doing anything right, either.
It is an effective cover. Refusing to advertise success is essentially the same as never achieving it in the first place.
Hey I noticed Chuck critisizing somebodys spelling above. My first question would be.... What is aog? The first error of his took only one sentence. His second mistake was all the way in to the next sentence. And that one is unique, because most people don't stutter when they write.
And "becomming" must make that supervisor a moron.
"And in no way reflects personally upon the workers of the warehouse."
Thank You Chuck, I guess you feel a need to keep reading. I mean despite the rumors that you do not read. You can't trust anyone buddy! Live and learn.
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