Silver Valley budget workshop focuses on imminent teacher cuts

YERMO • The Silver Valley Unified School District moved towards firming up a list of staff cuts that include laying off 22 teachers in kindergarten through third grade, two counselors, two physical education teachers and a special education instructor at Tuesday’s budget committee workshop.

Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Aaron Haughton said the teachers will be noticed with pink slips in early March. Layoffs will be finalized at the March 3 board meeting and Haughton said he expects notice to go out well before the state-mandated March 15 deadline.

District officials and the board focused their discussions on teacher layoffs, because of the looming deadline, but also discussed cuts to support staff and management which rounded out the $1.2 million in anticipated district cuts.

District officials mentioned at the workshop that many of the cuts would impact Silver Valley High School.

The number of teachers getting laid off may fluctuate depending on how many teachers resign or retire, according to Steven Desist, director of human resources. In the past, between 20 to 50 teachers have resigned each year, he said.

During the budget committee’s session, the members of the group picked out which items they do not want to slash in the midst of cuts.
Several members indicated that they wanted to save tutors, librarians and counselors from being cut. They also wanted to keep middle school sports programs, which is one of the items potentially on the chopping block.

The Silver Valley budget committee is composed of 13 members representing administrators, teachers, support staff, parents and community members.

Laura Davis, a parent representative from Fort Irwin on the committee, said her only concern with the cuts discussed was that they all centered around staff cuts, when the budget committee had previously brought suggestions of where to make cuts elsewhere, like district-provided cars.

According to Davis as well as other members of the budget committee and the school board, the issue of administrators being furnished with cars has been a hot topic.

Cars were included in the contracts of upper level district officials as an incentive to work for the Silver Valley district.

School board president Karen Gray said she understands why community members get heated over the car discussion, especially when it seems another person’s job hangs in the balance.

“I see what the public is saying,” said Gray, but added that certain perks help keep highly qualified staff on board, giving the district stability.

Tuesday’s meeting, the budget committee’s fourth so far, took a sharp turn when three members stormed out during discussions.

Teacher union president Chris Samuel voiced frustration that the listing of cuts from each group — teachers, support staff, and management — did not show what their union had agreed to concede. Teachers had tentatively agreed to go without a cost of living adjustment, which constituted between a three-and-a-half to five percent salary raise for the 2007-08 school year, in preparation for likely receiving no COLA funds from the state.

Some district officials, however, disagreed with that point because teachers will still be receiving an annual raise — known as step and column — based on a teacher’s professional degree level and number of years with the district.

Samuel and two other women walked out.

The district has been in a hiring freeze since mid-December 2008, according to Desist.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4122 or elee@desertdispatch.com

Upcoming meetings:
All meetings are held in the Silver Valley district office at 35320 Daggett-Yermo Road, Yermo.
Feb. 24: The board will bring forward a resolution regarding teacher layoffs and vote on which positions to cut.
March 3: The board will identify specific people who will be laid off.

By the numbers:
$726,831: Cuts to certificated group (instructional positions, excluding the 22 teachers)
$277,590: Cuts to classified group (support staff like tutors, aides and  maintenance)
$144,176: Cuts to management (upper-level district officials)
$1.21 million: Cost of 22 teachers (K-3)

Among other possible cuts:
• Freeze management salaries at 2008-09 level.
• 10 percent management department budget decrease.
• Two librarians (one is a vacant position).
• Recruit future district employees only within the state.