Chesterfield schools could lose 525 jobs
Published: January 28, 2009
The Chesterfield County school system is proposing to eliminate more than 500 positions, funding for Advanced Placement testing and its elementary International Baccalaureate program to make up for a $52 million budget shortfall.
"To say that this is the most difficult budget process I have overseen as a superintendent would be a dramatic understatement," Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome said yesterday at a news conference.
School and department budgets will be reduced by 20 percent, and the expansion of foreign languages at elementary schools would be delayed. Also, employees would be required to take two days off without pay and would not receive raises.
Newsome announced the massive cuts in a presentation of the proposed $551.5 million 2009-10 budget to the School Board last night. The school system expects to lose $52 million in state and county revenue.
The 525 positions proposed for elimination include administrators, teachers and instructional aides. One hundred and eleven classroom teaching positions are included in that number.
Newsome said about half of the 525 positions would be eliminated by attrition and by not filling open positions. He said he has asked school principals to submit their staffing needs based on student enrollment.
Principals informed their staffs yesterday that the positions of dean on the high school level and administrative assistant on the middle school level -- a total of 30 jobs -- would be eliminated. A high school dean of students is an administrator one level under an assistant principal. The employees will have a chance to apply for other positions, he said.
Also in Newsome's budget proposal:
"Most initiatives that were implemented for the last three years have been eliminated," Newsome said. "I think that some of these programs that are being eliminated may never be restored."
Meredith Ford, a parent of two children, said as she walked into the meeting that she was worried about the effect in the classroom.
"They're cutting special-education teachers," she said. "Both of my kids are in special education. That's a biggie for me."
Contact Juan Antonio Lizama at (804) 649-6513 or
.
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Reader Reactions
VATeacher: Bingo. It’s the same all over. Lots and lots of waste, but when ‘crunch time’ comes we keep flashy digital signs, technology and all those grant writers who make it all possible. When will people wake up and realize education is about human beings. It is about a teacher in front of a class full of kids - not computers - not smartboards - not administrators - not anything other than that.
Will ALL of the employees have to take 1-2 days off unpaid? Including the Superintendent? and will his salary be frozen as well? Please work from the TOP and work your way down because it is always the teachers (and thus, the students) who get the shaft.
In Reply to Ron Melancon Exactly!!!! very few putting in to the pot and way too many helping themselves without giving anything at all….it is only a matter of time before people see the truth….illegal ALIENS and their anchor brats are bankrupting our country….a good example is California. This had to happen sooner or later, the truth is finally coming out. It has affected our housing market, health care, schools, etc. etc. If that 93 year old vetran had been illegal, he would not have frozen to death, he would have had free heat, electric, food etc.
How much is the shortfall self inflicted? What I mean is for example… not enforcing the occupancy rules in Chesterfield.. where you have 2 or 3 or even 4 families sharing a home who are not related. Where you have students who do not belong in the Chesterfield School System going to school… Ask what happend when the School system tested the reverse 911.. how many numbers did not register for the location. How many people are being educated who are here illegally,, but due to Federal guidelines Chesterfield must educate.. Send the Federal Government the bill and get reimbursed. Then on another matter.. I have written Governor Kane…this question… I understand that we must educate people who are here illegally up to grade 12. Why are people who cannot prove they are here legally getting in State tuition rates to our Colleges when a person who is legal in New Jersey and comes to our colleges are made to pay full price. I have nothing saved for my Legal children.. but somehow my tax money is being used to educate Illegal College Students.
O.K… Chesterfield could loose 525 jobs… then why is one High School in Chesterfield spending about 100,000 on a digital sign? Why do we build schools that look like a Hotel? The point is… I don’t care if the school has a digital sign, the newest books, the best looking building and the best dressed staff. I want our children to learn… but yet somehow we loose the real intent of education. Forget all the funny programs… Teach our children how to budget, how to read a mortgage document, how to live within their means and become a productive citizen. Who cares if the sign out side the school changes 4 times a day with a different message…. educate our children.
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