WASHINGTON — Nine Washington teachers’ futures are in doubt after their contracts were not renewed by the Washington School Board on Thursday.
Five of those teachers are waiting on federal grant dollars and will likely return, but four are due to budget setbacks.
The cut teachers are part of a myriad of cuts that will make up the $738,000, or 4.5 percent, of funding cuts the state has made this year.
Superintendent Bruce Hatton told the board Thursday that the cuts had to be expanded, but they are trying hard to bring those teachers back for the next school year.
Hatton also said he is working with the local Classroom Teachers Association to restructure insurance benefits to save money. Four veteran teachers — Linda Strosnider, Alana Thompson, Jane Walker and Steve Walker — accepted early retirement packages in February.
In addition, the state legislature passed a measure that will allow schools to access some parts of other funds to keep teachers. Hatton said Washington “will be considering the option.”
“We are hoping to survive 2010 with minimal reduction in force,” Hatton said. “We are fortunate in that we are not reducing that much staff or closing schools.”
In neighboring counties, Vincennes has closed one of its elementary schools, and Loogootee is weighing the option of closing one of its two elementaries during a public meeting Tuesday.
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