The financial shoe has dropped on 22 South Whidbey teachers: They’ve been laid off.
This week, reduction-in-force notices were sent out to certificated school district employees, including teachers, librarians and counselors.
The layoffs may be tempered. Some workers will be offered half-time positions with pro-rated benefits, and there is the chance that others will be offered jobs at reduced salaries.
“Seven will be recalled to some half-time positions,” said District Superintendent Fred McCarthy. “A few other employees will be recalled into part-time positions. These reductions follow previous reductions of two administrative positions and will be followed by reductions in classified staffing.”
Details on classified employees — such as custodians, secretaries, nurses, food-service people and bus drivers — who may be impacted by budget cuts won’t be released until the end of the school year in June.
Board and district staff have been working to find ways to cut costs in the district’s $15.3 million budget to bridge a $1.6 million gap in next year’s budget. Since
83 percent of district expenses are employee costs, the total savings to the district from employee reductions totals close to $1.4 million.
The reason for the ongoing budget crisis is simple: fewer students in South End classrooms.
During the past year, the decline in enrollment has been drastic and the district expects next year to be the second largest decline — 120 students — in its history. The school district gets roughly $5,400 per student from the state.
Last week, the South Whidbey School Board heard the grim financial details that came as no surprise: People will be let go and programs curtailed if the school district is to balance its budget.
Programs affected include:
At South Whidbey Elementary School, the Friendship Group and Orca Kids programs will be cut and kindergarten classes combined.
At Langley Middle School, arts and drama elective classes will be cut, the seventh- and eighth-grade bands will be combined and physical education class sizes will increase.
At the high school, shop classes will be curtailed, foreign language offerings reduced, the wind ensemble and symphony programs combined, studio art and English advanced placement classes dropped and the resource math class eliminated.
The number of students in any given class will increase: from 23 to 27 at the elementary school; 26 to 29 at the middle school; and 28 to 29 at the high school.
Every high school and middle school coach will take an 11-percent cut in their stipends, saving $50,000.
At the end of the day, however, the district is still $35,000 short of reaching its goal, so work on the budget will continue.
The laid-off workers include three high school coaches: football coach Mark Hodson, boys golf coach Steve Jones and assistant track and field coach Jeffrey Greene.
Elementary school staff being laid off include Diane Burgess, Emily Czerwonka, Jennifer Gandarias, John LaVassar, Katharine Pfeiffer and Caryn Ploof. Middle school staff facing cuts are Nels Bergquist, Heather Dubendorf, Louise Fiori and Jessica Foley; and at the high school, Jeffrey Felgar, Linda Good, Betsy Hofius, Chloe Karl, Carrie Whitney and Leslie Woods. Whidbey Island Academy teachers PattiJo Craig and Sharla Matthews are on the RIF list, as well.
