Nine staff members from Columbia City High School, Indian Springs Middle School and Coesse Elementary School will have their contracts canceled or reduced after the Whitley County Consolidated Schools Board of Trustees approved the proposed reduction in force Monday.

   The reduction in force included one middle school science teacher, two high school business teachers, one high school family skills teacher, one middle school administrative assistant, three elementary and middle school paraprofessionals and a half-time reduction for one high school radio and television teacher.

   Additional measures taken to compensate for a $1 million reduction in state support to the school corporation’s general fund included approving a transfer of $104,800 from the transportation and bus replacement funds to the general fund, which is allowed thanks to a bill passed by the Indiana General Assembly this spring.

   The board also opened the floor for a public hearing to create an appropriation out of the rainy day fund. The administration proposed appropriating $287,500 from the rainy day fund to cover the $25,000 stipend offered for the 11 full-time and one half-time staff members approved for retirement. With no public comments being offered, the appropriation was approved.
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