PORT ANGELES — Several dozen Port Angeles School District employees — including teachers, bus drivers and counselors — will be notified by May 15 that they may lose their jobs.
Whether or not they’re laid off depends on the outcome of the district’s maintenance and operations, or M&O, tax levy election, scheduled to conclude May 17.
On Monday, the School Board approved a list of $4.5 million in budget cuts that will be made if the proposed levy fails to reach 60 percent approval by voters.
On the chopping block are all athletics and music programs, elimination of more than 20 teaching positions, and an end to most school busing.
The levy is needed, district leaders say, to fill the gap between state and federal funding, and actual expenses — about 17 percent of the total budget.
Of the $4.5 million in cutbacks being considered, $3.8 million would be forced by the loss of the levy, while $635,000 would be due to declining enrollment, the School Board was told.
The board Monday night approved the list of cuts and directed Schools Superintendent Gary Cohn to notify affected employees.
“This only gives Dr. Cohn directions and tells us how far we have to go with it,” said Charlie McClain, a School Board member.
Adjustments to list of cuts
The board removed from an original list handed it last week by an advisory committee.
The board decided not to consider reducing the number of students eligible to apply for the Running Start program, which would save about $150,000 in one year.
Directors also decided to protect one elementary counselor position — worth $64,000 — from the list of possible cuts.
The board replaced those two items with the elimination of the AmeriCorps program, worth $28,000, and slashing two middle school vice principal positions, worth $180,000.
