Three teaching positions were added to Southwest School Corp.’s potential layoff list Wednesday as school leaders brace for what they say could be a budget loss of nearly $1.2 million by 2013.
New positions to receive reduction in force, or RIF, notices are a high school English and physical education position and a fifth-grade teaching position at Carlisle. Six other teaching positions received RIF notices in March, bringing the new total to nine.
“I don’t think there is anybody on this board that’s wanting to see people lose their jobs, but since 95 percent of the General Fund expenditures are due to staff and insurance costs, these are things we have to look at,” Assistant Superintendent Keith Brashear told an audience at Wednesday’s meeting of SWSC trustees.
Brashear — filling in for superintendent Walter Hoke, who was hospitalized recently with a heart ailment — said if the state’s current budget proposal is approved it would mean nearly $1.2 million less for the corporation between 2009 and 2013.
“Our funding is declining, but our expenses keep increasing with health insurance costs and utility costs,” he said.
School officials have said staff retirements could mean fewer potential layoffs. Some teachers voiced concern Wednesday that some positions on the proposed cut list would also mean an end to certain courses.
One of the teachers was Sullivan Elementary School art instructor Sharon Hayward. She questioned whether her decision to retire would save the art program at Sullivan Elementary, but trustees said they couldn’t answer that inquiry.
“That affects whether I retire or not,” she said. “That program is very important to me, and it’s important to our children.”
Full-day kindergarten is a go
Trustees unanimously approved keeping full-day kindergarten in the SWSC next year at no cost to the families enrolled.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said recently that an improved state revenue forecast meant an additional $150 million for the state’s public schools, adding that about a quarter of it will go toward providing money so all school districts in the state can offer full-day kindergarten. About 25 percent of districts only offer half-day kindergarten classes.
Brashear said the increase means an additional $20 per student, or a $2,500 total increase from last year’s stipend of nearly $132,000 for SWSC’s kindergarten program. However, the increase won’t fully fund full-day kindergarten for the corporation.
The assistant superintendent said contrary to some reports, SWSC will still fork out $75,000 above what the state is providing to fully fund full-day kindergarten.
Copyright Kelk Publishing