West Delaware schools to eliminate 21 jobs

The West Delaware County school district informed 21 staff members last week that their jobs will be eliminated at the end of the school year.

That number is equivalent to 8.5 full-time teaching positions.

The notifications came two months after school board members voted to cut jobs in an effort to balance the district budgets.

“We've had financial reductions for the last six years,” Superintendent Bob Cue said.

This district of about 1,600 students has seen its enrollment numbers decrease by 160 students during that time, leading to less state funding.

The district was struggling financially before Gov. Chet Culver's mandatory 10 percent across the board cut, which is a loss of $770,686 in state funds for West Delaware County.

The announcement came months after the district has already reduced its 2009-10 operating budget by nearly $500,000.

“Last year we did some things and we thought we'd be in good shape, but then the 10 percent budget cut was announced,” Cue said.

The district was able to make the reductions by utilizing cost-saving practices and reducing one elementary teacher position.

The district's management team recommended nearly $700,000 in cuts to cope with the latest shortfall, with board members approving about $687,000 worth in December.

Among the cuts were an art teacher, music teacher and foreign language instructor. Cue said it's possible some of those positions will be reinstated for the 2010-11 school year, but that depends on what happens in the state Legislature.

The district also will increase its levy, but an amount has not been determined.

“Our goal is $700,000 in cuts and then raise taxes to generate $300,000 to $400,000 in revenue,” Cue said.

The district has entered a sharing agreement with the East Buchanan school district, sharing a transportation director. The agreement, coupled with the money saved from staff salaries, will generate about $400,000 for the district over four years.

Cue said the district's goal has been, and will continue to be, to focus on cuts that have the least impact on student learning. Core curriculum instructors and programs have not been impacted by the cuts.

“This is an unfortunate situation,” Cue said. “This isn't just a West Delaware problem, it's happening all over. Nobody wants to do this.”