SNOHOMISH — As many as 37 teaching jobs are on the chopping block in the Snohomish School District.
Whether that means teachers will actually be laid off is still to be determined.
The school district is searching for ways to cover the expected loss of $4.2 million in state funding fo
r the next school year. To make up for the loss of funding, the school board is considering eliminating teaching positions and reducing the number of days worked by psychologists and counselors.
“It’s getting more difficult finding ways to make reductions,” Superintendent Bill Mester said. “This really hurts.”
People can talk about the proposed cuts at the school district’s board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Resource and Service Center Board Room, 1601 Ave. D. The district also is inviting people to send comments to their website at www.sno.wednet.edu.
A final decision on the cuts is expected from the board at its April 27 meeting.
The worst case scenario would eliminate 37 teaching positions in the district, which has about 600 teachers. As of now, there are eight teachers retiring or taking a leave. An increase in student enrollment can save positions, and the Legislature could restore funding.
The district, however, cannot wait for what might happen in Olympia. If cuts involve layoffs, teachers need to be notified by May 15.
“The Legislature can extend the session and sometimes it can extend the deadline, but we can’t count on that,” Mester said. “We need to move on our current timeline.”
Other proposed cuts include reducing the work-year of administrative assistants to 10 months and giving a half-day off to para-educators during conference weeks.
The board already cut $676,000 in January out of this year’s budget by cutting seven custodians and maintenance workers and giving five unpaid furlough days to the superintendent and principals. The board also is looking at eliminating those custodians and maintenance workers positions and giving the superintendent and principals the furlough days again in the next school year.
The school district is suffering from decisions being made by the Legislature, said Justin Fox-Bailey, president of the Snohomish Education Association.
“The source of the problem is Olympia,” he said. “The state is failing in funding education.”
With the proposed cuts, class sizes will grow, increasing by two students to an average of 25 students in kindergarten to third grade. Fourth to sixth grade classes will grow to 28 students, three more than currently.
Snohomish is not the only district feeling the pinch. In Monroe, the school district is closing a school and administrators are taking unpaid furlough days. The Stanwood-Camano School Board plans to take a look at reducing its teaching staff at the board’s April 19 meeting.
In Everett, more than 1,000 people responded to an online survey asking for suggestions on how to slash things from that district’s budget. Arlington and Edmonds school districts plan to host budget question-and-answer sessions.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
The public can speak about the proposed cuts at the Snohomish School District meeting, at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Resource and Service Center Board Room, 1601 Ave. D. Comments can be sent to the district’s website at www.sno.wednet.edu.
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