Instead of periodic paring of expenses to put a solid foundation under Durango School District 9-R finances, Superintendent Dan Snowberger wants to get to bedrock right away.
As a means to that end, Snowberger proposes to eliminate as many as 24 teaching and administrative positions for the upcoming school year. Classified personnel would not be affected because they took the hit last year.
The elimination of the jobs – four involve contract work that is finished – would erase a $1.6 million deficit, which has accumulated during the last five years as state funding dwindled. The district has dipped into reserves to meet the challenge, but it’s near the 15 percent reserve level considered prudent to hold for emergencies.
School districts across the state have increased class size, eliminated enrichment classes such as art and music and closed smaller schools, Snowberger told trustees Tuesday. Not so in 9-R, he said.
But the time has come to forge a “sustainable” workforce that would eliminate the jitters teachers have felt in recent years at budget time, Snowberger said.
“We need a plan so they can stop thinking ‘Who’s next?’” he said.
Layoffs would be proportional among the district’s 400 teachers and 40 administrators. There would be no layoffs if enough employees – qualified by education and time with the district – opt for a financial inducement known as the Early Separation Incentive Plan, or ESIP, that’s worth 50 percent of their salary. They must decide by March 14.
The second option is the Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan, VSIP, which would be offered to a broader range of employees who don’t have the level of education and who would be offered less financial inducement. They must make a decision by March 21.
In either case, if the departing employee holds a critical job and must be replaced, the newcomer can’t be hired at higher than step 5 of the pay scale.
If still there are not enough departures, school principals will have to make the cuts.
A few employees – every employee is on a one-year contract – won’t be offered new contracts because of unsatisfactory job performance.
The ratio of students to teacher would be 20 to 1 in kindergarten and first grade; 22 to 1 in grades two and three; and 24 to 1 in grades four through 12.
Trustee Kim Martin wasn’t buying into the proposal.
She would prefer to take money from reserves, reducing the amount held for emergencies to 12 to 13 percent, Martin said Tuesday.
Snowberger said such a razor-thin level is courting disaster if the general economy stumbles again or if state legislators don’t come through with more money.
State legislators this week unveiled the Student Success Act that would provide $230 million beyond current funding. They say $100 million of the package is to make up for past funding cuts.
The proportion of $100 million for 9-R would be $450,000, Snowberger said.
School superintendents told legislators Monday that the Student Success Act doesn’t come close to what they need to educate children.
daler@durangoherald.com
