Teacher layoffs, more cuts likely

Lynnwood resident Jeff Douglas is concerned about his two elementary-age sons having to walk up busy 164th Street Southwest the next few years because buses will likely not be there to pick them up.

He found a Web site that listed 20 registered sex offenders living within the neighborhood as well and that doesn’t sit too well with him either.

Starting next year, the Edmonds School District probably won’t be busing Douglas’ children or others who live within a one-mile radius of the schools because of budget cuts.

The state only supplies money to mitigate hazards, about $331,000 for Edmonds, for transportation for students who live within a one-mile radius of a school.

To keep cuts away from the classroom, the $7.7 million transportation budget for Edmonds could take a $1.4 million hit or 18.1 percent reduction.

The district hopes to save $500,000 by cutting bus routes within a one-mile radius. About $150,000 was left in that portion to keep some bus routes that can’t be mitigated, district transportation director Craig Christensen said. Still bus drivers will be laid off.

All districts are dealing with the fallout from the economic crisis hitting the country and state.

Even with huge cuts to transportation, many other people from areas ranging from athletics to school staff will be cut, resulting in at least $10 million in total cuts in Edmonds.

Everett School District is cutting $7.71 million out of its budget and the Shoreline School District is cutting $3.6 million.

By the end of this week, up to 37 teachers in the Edmonds School District, 28 teachers in the Everett School District and 21 teachers in the Shoreline School District will have received layoff or reduction in force notices.

“I believe people want to advocate for their interest and at the same time appreciate and respect that we’re dealing with a big shortfall that will affect other areas that other people value,” Edmonds superintendent Nick Brossoit said. “I think people have been very respectful and have not made any personal attacks. They understand it’s a problem we didn’t create, but we have to address.”

Edmonds held a public meeting on May 6 at Lynnwood High School to collect input from parents, students and community members. About 200 people showed up, the most Brossoit said he’s seen at that type of meeting. Upcoming meetings will be at 4 p.m. May 14 at Meadowdale High School, 7 p.m. May 20 at Edmonds-Woodway High School and 4 p.m. May 27 at Mountlake Terrace High School.

With enrollment dwindling and budgets shrinking, Edmonds and other districts might not see revenue return unless something drastic happens at the state level.

Edmonds went through massive cuts in the mid-1970s after a several levy failures, said Duane Lewis, a teacher and track coach at Lynnwood High School since 1971. The district had more students then, about 22,000 compared to about 19,000 now. At the time, Lynnwood hada head track coach for both boys and girls as well as two paid assistants.

Since the mid-1970s, Lewis has been the head coach with one paid assistant, and that assistant job is on the chopping block now.

Could the cuts school districts are making now become permanent?

“It really depends on state funding, that’s the bottom line,” Brossoit said. “What’s going to happen with the economy in a year or two and will that result in changes in state funding? That’s the key question.”