Millions in stimulus money for the Chesterfield County school system saved hundreds of jobs, but not those of 64 employees, including 12 teachers and 33 instructional aides whose contracts will not be renewed for next year because of budget cuts.
The information was disclosed yesterday in a personnel report to the School Board during its monthly meeting.
In May, 11 of those employees -- all math and literacy specialists -- will be rehired with stimulus money, to do similar jobs next year, said school spokesman Shawn Smith. Also next month, 50 other employees' jobs will be shifted down a grade for next year, meaning that they will take a pay cut, he said. The $794.5 million 2009-10 school budget has a $32 million shortfall.
"Cutting positions when there's no decrease in enrollment means balancing the budget on the backs of children and employees, and you should not have to do that," said Lois Stanton, president of the Chesterfield Education Association. "There is no getting around that this is not good for our kids, and it is not good for government."
Originally, the shortfall was $52 million, and the school administration proposed eliminating 525 jobs and other cuts.
The proposed cuts drew about 400 people to a public hearing on the budget in late March to plead with the board to save the jobs.
The school administration later restored 427 positions with the reallocation of funds and $20 million the system will receive in stimulus money. In addition, schools are receiving about $8 million in stimulus funds through Title I and Title II programs to help poor students and teachers and math coaches.
The termination of contracts was done primarily based on seniority. The reduction-in-force policy states that laid-off teachers will be the first to be offered re-employment as vacancies occur. The most senior laid-off teachers will be recalled first.
"All of us are miserable," said School Board Chairman Marshall W. Trammell Jr. "None of us is happy about any of the [reduction in force]. We wish we didn't have to do any of this. We're hoping that the number of positions eliminated will be reduced even further by the end of the summer."
Contact Juan Antonio Lizama at jlizama@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6513.
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