KELSEYVILLE ? Nine elementary school teachers will get pink slips after a more than three-hour special meeting of the Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees Wednesday night.
Incoming Superintendent Dave McQueen told an audience of approximately 200 people that the layoffs were part of a plan to reduce spending by $1.6 million over three years to balance the district”s budget because of withheld state funding. McQueen said the district risked losing local control if it failed to balance its budget.
“If we cut $500,000 now, we save $1.5 million later, but we”re still not positive,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Kathy Garrison said.
Cutting the teachers would cost the district approximately $250,000 in penalties for not reducing class sizes next school year, according to Garrison, reducing the district”s net savings to approximately $245,000. McQueen said the district planned to cut in four other areas including community day school, adult education, deferred maintenance and administration.
McQueen said the board needed to approve the layoffs by June 15 in order to have the option to use them to balance the district”s budget, and to allow teachers adequate time to pursue due process options, which he said would address seniority. The board has until Aug. 11 to finalize the cuts or come up with alternatives.
McQueen said the district would still need to cut another $900,000 in September. He is assembling a task force to come up with alternatives to staff cuts, and said suggestions are welcome via e-mail at suggestions@kusd.lake.k12.ca.us.
Kelseyville Unified Teachers Association President Rico Abordo argued the district could afford to pay the teachers for another year, saying cuts would not be necessary until the 2010-11 school year.
“The board of trustees has voiced a philosophy that yes, we have to make cuts, but we want to make them as far away from the classroom as possible. The last time I looked, the only people in the classroom were students and teachers,” Abordo said.
Nearly 40 parents, educators and children asked the board to wait on the decision and consider alternatives. Kelseyville Elementary fifth-grader Molly Jeffers told the board her classmates had offered their own money to teacher Shelly Bell when they learned she was going to lose her job.
Jeffers waited until she got back to her seat to cry.
Bell said she had just signed a letter of intent and thought she was safe. She asked the board to weigh other options, including pay cuts.
“This is my home,” Kelseyville Elementary parent Kellie Beverlin said in a choked voice. “But I will not jeopardize my child”s education, and I will not think twice about removing my child from the school district and taking alternative action.”
Riviera Elementary teacher Mary Beth Abordo said class sizes would go up to 37 students per teacher if the cuts were allowed.
“We can”t solve this budget on the backs of the children and the parents and the teachers,” Riviera Elementary school teacher Kim Olson said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
