May 13, 2009 in City

Class sizes, layoffs among worries aired at schools forum

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Dan Pelle photo

Spokane Public Schools teachers’ mentors Gwen Sanders, Mary Frankhauser, Erin Jordan and Gail Jessett listen to Superintendent Nancy Stowell discuss the district’s budget cuts during a meeting Tuesday at Chase Middle School. The mentoring program is proposed for cuts.
(Full-size photo)

Colleen Eyrich drove across town to attend the first of two public forums scheduled this week about Spokane Public Schools’ budget.

“I want to see where the district is going to cut the budget in such a tight spot,” said Eyrich, who is involved in her neighborhood school’s parent-teacher group.

Eyrich has two children attending Audubon Elementary and three who graduated from North Central High School.

“Now we’re down to bare bones and cutting stuff that really hurts kids,” she said.

Tuesday’s discussion focused on proposed program cuts that would balance the 2009-’10 budget.

The primary concern among those who showed up at Chase Middle School on Tuesday is the potential increase in class sizes resulting from teacher layoffs.

Earlier in the day, 103 teachers received notification that their contracts would not be renewed.

Although officials say they ultimately will let fewer than 40 teachers go, class sizes would go up by one student.

Liz Little, a parent, said it’s not up to officials to fix everything.

“The parents need to band together and make sure their kids show up ready to learn,” she said.

Personnel cuts are among the many ways the school district is proposing to bridge an $8.8 million gap in its 2009-’10 budget.

Principals called the teachers Monday night to tell them they would be receiving the notices, said Staci Vesneske, assistant superintendent.

“This is a sad time for many districts across the state,” Superintendent Nancy Stowell said. “For us, it is particularly ironic with the recent passage of our levy and bond by Spokane voters.”

It’s important for the community to understand that “bond money can only be spent on things like school construction and technology upgrades, not educational programs, staff, supplies, or operations.”

Vesneske said the impact to schools is varied: Two to eight teachers were given notice at the high schools, one to five at the middle schools and zero to four in the elementary schools.

The hardest hit at each level were Rogers High School with eight teachers notified, Garry Middle School with five and Regal Elementary also with five, according to Vesneske.

The layoffs are based on seniority, Vesneske said. Rogers had the most new teachers, she said.

No teachers were impacted at Brown, Indian Trail, Woodridge, Mullan Road and Madison elementaries, Vesneske said.

Officials maintain they plan to rehire all but about 40 of those notified Tuesday. Those 40 positions would save an estimated $1.6 million.

“I don’t want to give false hope, but I think all may be hired back by the end of August,” Vesneske said.

Whether that happens depends on levy equalization and federal stimulus money, officials say. Other proposed cuts include:

•Dividing developmentally disabled students between two Spokane high schools and keeping them closer to their homes, rather than busing them to a central location.

•Reducing administrators’ pay by two days.

•Reducing caterings for staff events.

•Limiting travel.

•Reducing the number of district-paid cell phones (currently 195).

•Reducing clerical, security and technical positions.

•Delaying the painting of school buildings.

•Eliminating leased office space.

•Suspending a mentor teaching program.

Three comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  eagleproducer on May 13 at 7:33 a.m.

  Why were there no cuts to classified personnel?

  Does it make sense to have custodians and food service personnel, some who make more than $50,000.00 a year with benefits, not take any cuts? When those services could be contracted to private firms for much less money that action should be seriously considered prior to making cuts that will impact student services.

  The superintendent of District 81 makes $176,640.00 in base salary. With per diem and benefits she brings home a compensation package well over $200,000.00 a year. This despite only one high school meeting AYP and an overall dropout rate beyond 30%. With some student groups, namely Native Americans, that dropout rate is over 70%. That base salary is more than all but three state governors, ten thousand more than Gregoire and fifty five thousand more than the state superintendent of public instruction.

  http://www.salaries.wa.gov/documents/…

  http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/…

  There is the proof for the doubters. Don’t forget to count in the many assistant superintendents as well.

  Where are the stories and reporting of those most impacted by these cuts instead of the top down spoon feeding of Administrati speak being regurgitated by the Spokesman-Review?

• 

  Megan_B on May 13 at 8:44 a.m.

  Just curious, but has anyone calculated how much money could be saved if funding for sports was cut? Think about all of the maintenance fees, the coaches, the referees, the electrical bills, the transportation. How many kids are really going to grow up to be pro athletes after they graduate? Why not focus on areas that are more concerning to their future, like arithmetic, music, literature, and foreign language. I’m not saying wipe out after school sports completely, but why not have the students and parents do more fundraisers to cover the extra costs that they generate? There is more than enough community support for athletics out there to pitch in, and in the meantime, the money that goes to cover all of the extra costs for these programs can go back where it belongs- to helping teachers help students learn.

• 

  jodyl on May 13 at 3:37 p.m.

  Officials have proposed cutting several classified staff as well. Four technical support positions may not be filled, three clerical positions in the central office could be cut, maintenance staff may be reduced, central administrator positions could be left vacant, etc.
  The proposed cuts are outlined in the Spokane Public Schools’ budget that was made available on this site along with Tuesday’s story, which also listed some of the aforementioned proposed cuts.