PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School Board salvaged about 1.6 full-time teaching positions in elementary schools for the 2010-11 school year by deciding not to transfer money into the capital projects fund.
The fund is intended to pay for emergency building repairs.
The state Legislature changed the ratio of teachers per student in the fourth grade, leading to a $130,000 cut to funding directly for teachers.
The Fiscal Advisory Committee — which evaluated the district’s finances and reported to the School Board — had recommended cutting 1.625 full-time teachers in kindergarten through fourth grade.
The cuts would have led to six “split” classes in which students from two grades would be grouped together.
“I really want to take a look at what that would mean for elementary education,” said board member Patti Happe, before suggesting finding money to fill those positions.
Jim Schwob, business director for the district, suggested not saving $250,000 in the capital projects fund.
“I’m comfortable with that and am the one who suggested it,” he told the board.
Although board members expressed some misgivings about not saving more for an emergency, ultimately they voted unanimously to follow his advice.
“I am very concerned about this, though,” said board President Lonnie Linn after the vote.
“This could put us in a very bad situation if something were to happen.”
Schwob said the district’s surplus properties are being appraised.
“I am confident that at the end of this process we will either be renting out or selling some of these properties, which will go into the capital project’s fund,” Schwob said.
Some of those properties which are being appraised include the campus of the former Fairview Elementary School, which was closed in 2007, and some empty lots near Stevens Middle School.
The board voted Monday night to eliminate 5.345 full-time teaching positions, which will all be vacated by attrition.
The positions in the kindergarten through fourth grade also would have been cut through attrition.
Superintendent Jane Pryne said that she had asked the schools to have employees who were leaving notify the district earlier so she would have a clearer picture of how many resignations and retirements there would be.
The board voted to cut about $1.9 million from the budget Monday.
About $504,000 of that is through teacher training days that were negotiated through supplemental contracts.
It will amount to a 3 percent pay cut for teachers throughout the district.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
