PORT ANGELES — The School Board gave final approval Monday night to an action plan that will be needed if the May 17 maintenance and operations tax levy fails.
Ballots in the all-mail election to determine the fate of the $12.7 million, two-year levy, will be mailed to voters in the school district on Wednesday.
Unlike a general plan of cuts the School Board approved March 21, Monday night’s list details program cuts and names personnel that would be eliminated if the levy fails.
The cuts would save the district a total of $4.5 million over the next school year — the vast majority of it needed if fewer than 60 percent of participating voters reject the levy, this year’s second try.
The latest levy bid proposes renewing the current maintenance and operations levy that expires this year, but adding a dime to the tax rate.
The proposal to be handed to voters proposes a rate of $2.98 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The School Board on Monday examined the contingency plan should the measure fail.
“I think it’s fair to say about this plan is that no one has wanted to work on it, that no one will like the content of it, and that no one wants to implement it,” Superintendent Gary Cohn said.
“Nevertheless, it is a necessity to describe how the district would operate next year without [the levy] funding.”
Extracurricular elimination
Besides the elimination of all extracurricular activities such as sports and music programs, dozens of district staff members would find themselves out of work, according to Cohn.
A total of 86 people stand to lose their jobs if the levy fails and if the district receives no new certified-staff resignations or retirements before May 15, said Ron Spanjer, assistant superintendent.
At Monday’s meeting, 18 of those people were named.
Most of the cuts to staff would be made at Port Angeles High School.
Full-time high school teachers who have already been notified that their jobs are in jeopardy are John Mitchell and Joe Cates in the math department, Carri Keider in physical education, Erik Lathen and Phil Fournier in language arts, Betsy Snipe in Spanish, Lora Brabant in marketing, and Pete McCue in the industry and auto department.
Choice Community’s School would lose Deb Volturno — and Choice would also be shuttered under the plan.
Other teachers
Middle school positions named Monday include Roosevelt’s Dale Pittman and Stevens’ Tami Shmitt and Traci Toombs.
Elementary school teachers on the list are Franklin’s Margaret Carlson and Lisa Schermer, Fairview’s Teresa Thorson and Mary O’Kief, Dry Creek’s Wyndi Cole, and Hamilton’s Melissa Klein.
In addition, 16 bus drivers, four administrators, 26 para-educators, 12 secretaries, seven custodians and two mechanics stand to get laid off.
“Let’s just hope it’s all a theoretical exercise,” said board member Charlie McClain.
Also slated for elimination under the plan are advanced placement courses in science, math and English.
