CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale Community School Corporation voted to approve a series of reductions in force (RIFs) at Monday's monthly meeting.
Superintendent Greg Linton explained due to the anticipated loss of $1.3 million in state funding over the course of the next few years, the reductions have to be made to save money.
"It's necessary (to RIF) to make sure that our expenditures meet our revenue ... Those are some of the most difficult decisions that boards and school administrators have to make. In light of a reduction in funding, we really don't have any other options if we are going to make sure to keep the school corporation in good standing," Linton said.
The certified staff members affected by the RIF will include a third-grade teacher, fourth-grade teacher, business position in the high school, elementary school counselor and reduce the elementary school assistant principal position.
Classified positions include the reduction of five full-time instructional assistants (some to part-time positions), ONT special education coordinator to half-time and reducing one custodial position to half-time.
"The individuals that were in those positions that I identified will not have a job with Cloverdale next year," Linton explained about what the RIFs mean. "If we have teachers that would resign a position or leave to go some place else and we have an opening, the individuals that were RIFed this evening could be called back."
The elementary assistant principal will be transferred to an intervention position.
The board approved a central elementary school home school advisor position, which will replaced the elementary school counselor position.
"It is a new position that will assume the responsibilities of the Cloverdale elementary counselor position. This position will, instead of requiring a counseling degree of four years, will be a two-year associates degree, like a social worker. It is a position that will cost the corporation less money, but continues to provide to the needs of the students," Linton explained.
Adjustments were made to the classified technology position, one of the instructional assistant positions listed in the RIF. The board approved a reduction of hours in the position to 185 days a year with 29.5 hours per week.