After months of number-crunching and nail-biting, the rubber finally hit the road for the Kent School District’s budget cuts on Monday as layoff notices went out to staff across the district.
On Monday, 29 teachers and six administrators received what are called “reduction in force,” or RIF, notices, explaining they would be laid off when the school year ends. The 29 teachers filled 28.5 full time equivalency (FTE) positions. An additional 2.2 FTE positions were reduced. Those positions were absorbed by another six teachers.
The cuts were made in 18 of the district’s 40 schools.
In total, nine elementary school teachers, three middle school teachers and 15 high school teachers received layoff notices. In addition, one elementary teacher and one high school teacher saw reductions in their work hours.
The Kent Mountainview Academy also received one layoff and a slight reduction in hours in another position while the Kent Phoenix Academy received one layoff. The academies are the district’s non-traditional high schools and are therefore reported separately from the other schools.
On the administrative side, two coordinators at the district office received layoffs as did four assistant principals.
The final number, based on calculations drawn from the state budget as well as advice from the office of superintendent of public instruction regarding federal stimulus money, is well below the 129 teacher layoffs approved by the board April 22 as part of a “worst-case scenario.”
The layoffs were determined based on the Kent Education Association’s contract, which bases any necessary layoffs on seniority and teaching endorsements earned.
The school board passed the full reduction list in April before the Legislature approved its own final numbers for state education funding.
According to a May 8 letter sent to staff by Superintendent Barbara Grohe and Board President Jim Berrios notifying teacher and administrators of the impending cuts, the hope is that some of those teachers will be hired back.
“It is our hope that we will be able to continue to reduce this number as we learn of additional resignations, retirements, leaves and any further funding opportunities,” reads the letter. “Our objective is to maintain our class sizes and our staffing levels to the greatest extent possible.”
According to Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Fred High, even with the additional funding from the state, the district still has to close an approximately $7 million budget gap.
High said federal stimulus money will help plug some holes, but the district, like others in the state, is waiting for the official word about how the funding can be used.
High also said the Legislature’s budget helped the district some, such as a lower-than-expected retirement liability.
“There’s some things financially that are going to put us in a better position,” High said Friday.
The district has been working for months on closing the expected budget hole and has been planning for the worst-case scenario, which was calculated at a gap of $15 million. The board conducted public forums and workshops to gather community input about where to make any necessary cuts.
The board and the the district administration also have identified more than $3.3 million in administrative cuts that will take place before any layoffs are made.
Lisa Brackin-Johnson, president of the Kent Education Association, said the union was sorry to see any layoffs.
“We’re pleased they were able to reduce the number of staff they were going to lay off,” she said.
The union has insisted through the budget process that the district has more money then it lets on and is using the potentially high number of layoffs as a bargaining tactic during this year’s contract negotiations.
“We’ve always said the money is available and we’re glad they’ve chosen to use some of those funds to fund the teachers,” she said.
POSITIONS CUT BY THE KENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
On Monday, the Kent School District cut a total of 38 full time equivalency positions. The cuts affected 18 of the district’s 40 schools as well as central administration in the following way:
layoffs:
nine elementary school teachers;
three middle school teachers;
15 high school teachers;
two teachers at the non-traditional Academies;
two coordinators at the district office; and
four assistant principals.
In addition, several other teachers received reductions in hours totaling 2.2 FTE spread over six people
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