Whitley County Consolidated Schools administrators announced Monday that staff cuts are in the works to accommodate the most recent reductions in state support to its general fund totaling nearly $1 million.
The number of employees to be cut has not yet been announced, but Superintendent Patricia O’Connor said that number is being kept to a minimum thanks to an agreement with the Whitley County Teachers Association.
After several meetings with administrators, the teachers association agreed to reopen discussion on teacher contracts and forego a 2.5 percent salary increase scheduled for the 2010-2011 school year in addition to temporarily suspending the two paid teacher workdays scheduled for the beginning of the year.
This agreement will result in a savings of approximately $330,000, according to the memorandum of understanding approved by the school board Monday.
“Our teachers saved a number of jobs by doing this,” Don Armstrong, WCCS board president, said.
The number of staff cuts will also be minimal because of a retirement incentive program offered by the school, according to O’Connor. Eleven full-time and one half-time teacher who qualify for retirement applied for the $25,000 stipend offered, which the board will be asked to approve at next week’s meeting.
The school board will vote on the staff cuts during its May meeting.
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