Some Iowa City teacher cuts on hold while school board examines budget

IOWA CITY – The Iowa City school district has delayed its plan to cut 22 teaching positions next school year to give the school board time to search for a solution.

At their Monday work session and Tuesday regular meeting, school board members will talk about next fiscal year's budget with an eye toward reducing the number of teacher layoffs, board Vice President Tuyet Dorau said Wednesday.

It's not yet clear what the board may do, but Dorau and board President Patti Fields said one idea under consideration is tapping into the district's savings more than in the past.

Fields said since news of the cuts came out earlier this week, she's heard from a lot of community members, teachers and school district staff objecting to the plan.

“I'm hopeful” a solution will be found, she said. “I think the board is ready to have this discussion.”

However, there is no guarantee those 22 jobs, which are paid for out of the taxpayer-supported general fund, will be saved.

Also, no matter what, some teachers funded by other sources will receive layoff notices, said Jim Pedersen, the district's human resources director. The district is sending what are known as reduction-in-force notices to 14 people this week, including six special-education teachers, five reading teachers and some early education teachers, he said.

He said administrators are hopeful some of those people will be hired back. But by law, the notices must be sent out by the end of the month.

The same goes for the 22 teacher positions from the general fund. Those cuts would come from 10 layoffs and not replacing 12 early retirees.

The cuts result from a budget deficit of up to $6.8 million and concern over what the state will provide in funding.

Republicans, who control the Iowa House and the Governor's Office, have said they want no increase next fiscal year in allowable growth, which is the amount of new per-pupil spending districts receive. Democrats have proposed providing 2 percent allowable growth.

The uncertainty has been frustrating to school officials statewide, who in years past have always known by now what allowable growth would be. Also, the state has always increased allowable growth.

Dorau noted that the district could have the money to cover its expenses without making cuts, but it needs the spending authority from the state to do so.

To try to free up some cash, the board will discuss whether it should lower its policy of requiring the district to reserve 5 percent of its budget for savings.

Tom Yates, a City High School teacher and president of the Iowa City Education Association (the teachers union), said the school board wants to put the debate in financial terms but teachers see it as one of educational quality.

“When teachers get laid off, class sizes get bigger,” he said.