Published: Monday, September 7, 2009
Many laid-off teachers rehired, but cuts still felt
Most of the 240 teachers in Snohomish County who received layoff notices in May have been rehired, but many school districts are starting the year with thinner teaching ranks than last fall.
In Marysville, for instance, all but 10 of the 57 teachers issued pink slips were rehired after the retirements, leaves of absence and resignations of their colleagues. Even so, there will be 23 fewer teachers in Marysville classrooms this fall, roughly the equivalent of the staff at an elementary school.
State budget cuts and declining enrollment are blamed for the loss of teaching positions in Marysville and elsewhere and for draining budget reserves. For a school district each student represents about $5,200 in funding from the state.
What's unknown is if things will get worse.
“We are all walking a fine line,” said Marysville Superintendent Larry Nyland. “We want to be realistic about what could happen, and at the same time we want to convey hope. We have to know it could get worse.”
Granite Falls opened school last week with 140 teachers, down 18 from the same time a year ago. Fifteen of 24 teachers who received a layoff notice have been rehired, including several who work part time. At the same time, the district's general fund reserve has nearly disappeared, leaving an estimated $807 this fall compared to $357,000 a year ago.
Arlington will begin fall with about 280 teachers, down about 40 from last fall. Fifteen of the 24 teachers who were laid off have been rehired.
Lake Stevens laid off 28 teachers in May. Two took jobs elsewhere, five are hoping to be called back, and the others were rehired. The district will start the year down about 20 teaching slots this fall.
Even districts that didn't have to send out layoff notices have cinched the belt on hiring this year.
With steady enrollment, Mukilteo and Snohomish avoided handing teachers pink slips last May, but Mukilteo begins the year with 11 fewer teaching positions and Snohomish is down 16 teaching slots. Snohomish also has tapped its reserves for $1.2 million, leaving an estimated $4.5 million reserve.
With fewer districts hiring, teachers held on to their jobs, meaning fewer openings for their unemployed colleagues or first-year teachers trying to break into the profession.
Afraid of losing retirement money tied up in failing stocks, some teachers decided to put off leaving.
“A lot of people just hunkered down,” Nyland said.
Everett was able to offer jobs to all 28 teachers who received layoff notices in May, the legal deadline for school districts to let teachers know if they will be offered a contract for the following year. Everett will, however, start the year with 44 fewer teaching positions than last spring. Many of those were academic coaches who helped fellow teachers with instruction and have since been reassigned to the classroom.
“The whole effort was to keep the cuts as far away from the classroom as possible,” said Mary Waggoner, a school district spokeswoman.
In many districts, full-time teachers were hired back part time.
Shawn Bennison taught first grade in the Granite Falls School District last year before getting a layoff notice last spring.
She was hired this fall to teach pre-school to 20 4-year-olds.
The wait to learn if she would be back in the classroom this fall lasted two months, leaving her “kind of on pins and needles.”
Bennison, a third-year teacher who is married and has children ages 11 and 14, was hired back part time. She is thankful to be working enough hours to qualify for medical coverage and she plans to pick up extra hours as an elementary school substitute teacher in the afternoon.
“For all of us who were (laid off) last year, anything is better than nothing because this is what we want to do,” Bennison said. “We want to teach. That is what our love and passion is.”
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
In Marysville, for instance, all but 10 of the 57 teachers issued pink slips were rehired after the retirements, leaves of absence and resignations of their colleagues. Even so, there will be 23 fewer teachers in Marysville classrooms this fall, roughly the equivalent of the staff at an elementary school.
State budget cuts and declining enrollment are blamed for the loss of teaching positions in Marysville and elsewhere and for draining budget reserves. For a school district each student represents about $5,200 in funding from the state.
What's unknown is if things will get worse.
“We are all walking a fine line,” said Marysville Superintendent Larry Nyland. “We want to be realistic about what could happen, and at the same time we want to convey hope. We have to know it could get worse.”
Granite Falls opened school last week with 140 teachers, down 18 from the same time a year ago. Fifteen of 24 teachers who received a layoff notice have been rehired, including several who work part time. At the same time, the district's general fund reserve has nearly disappeared, leaving an estimated $807 this fall compared to $357,000 a year ago.
Arlington will begin fall with about 280 teachers, down about 40 from last fall. Fifteen of the 24 teachers who were laid off have been rehired.
Lake Stevens laid off 28 teachers in May. Two took jobs elsewhere, five are hoping to be called back, and the others were rehired. The district will start the year down about 20 teaching slots this fall.
Even districts that didn't have to send out layoff notices have cinched the belt on hiring this year.
With steady enrollment, Mukilteo and Snohomish avoided handing teachers pink slips last May, but Mukilteo begins the year with 11 fewer teaching positions and Snohomish is down 16 teaching slots. Snohomish also has tapped its reserves for $1.2 million, leaving an estimated $4.5 million reserve.
With fewer districts hiring, teachers held on to their jobs, meaning fewer openings for their unemployed colleagues or first-year teachers trying to break into the profession.
Afraid of losing retirement money tied up in failing stocks, some teachers decided to put off leaving.
“A lot of people just hunkered down,” Nyland said.
Everett was able to offer jobs to all 28 teachers who received layoff notices in May, the legal deadline for school districts to let teachers know if they will be offered a contract for the following year. Everett will, however, start the year with 44 fewer teaching positions than last spring. Many of those were academic coaches who helped fellow teachers with instruction and have since been reassigned to the classroom.
“The whole effort was to keep the cuts as far away from the classroom as possible,” said Mary Waggoner, a school district spokeswoman.
In many districts, full-time teachers were hired back part time.
Shawn Bennison taught first grade in the Granite Falls School District last year before getting a layoff notice last spring.
She was hired this fall to teach pre-school to 20 4-year-olds.
The wait to learn if she would be back in the classroom this fall lasted two months, leaving her “kind of on pins and needles.”
Bennison, a third-year teacher who is married and has children ages 11 and 14, was hired back part time. She is thankful to be working enough hours to qualify for medical coverage and she plans to pick up extra hours as an elementary school substitute teacher in the afternoon.
“For all of us who were (laid off) last year, anything is better than nothing because this is what we want to do,” Bennison said. “We want to teach. That is what our love and passion is.”
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
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