PORT TOWNSEND — Port Townsend Superintendent Tom Opstad will have told seven teachers — the equivalent of 2.7 full-time positions — that their jobs have been cut by the end of the work day today.
$200,000 savings
The reduction in force is intended to save the district — which must cut about $770,000 from its 2010-2011 budget — about $200,000.
“We don’t like that this is happening,” said Port Townsend School Board President Bobby DuBois.
“But with the declining enrollments and budget cuts, a reduction in force is normal behavior this time of year.”
No other cuts in personnel are contemplated, Opstad said Thursday.
Where more budget cuts will be made has not been determined.
“We’re not looking at cutting programs now,” Opstad said, “but our budget work continues.”
The Port Townsend School Board legally must have a final budget approved by July 31.
“My goal to have a final budget approved by the board by June 28, which is the last board meeting I’ll be attending,” said Opstad, who is leaving the district he has headed for five years to serve as the Aberdeen superintendent.
Budget balancing will continue at the next meeting of the School Board at 6 p.m. May 24 in the Lincoln Building, 450 Fir St.
Although seven teachers will be “RIFed” — which comes from the term “reduction in force” — not all those will be without jobs when classes resume this fall.
Some of the 2.7 full-time equivalents — or FTEs — are part-time reductions, and changes throughout the summer can affect the district’s needs.
“You don’t know who’s going to move, what changes will take place,” before the beginning of the school year, Opstad said. “A variety of things will affect that.”
The School Board on Monday approved a reduction in force from 83 to 74.7 FTEs, Opstad said.
Opstad met for several hours on Wednesday with members of the teachers’ union before the final number was determined.
As per the contract, notifications of teacher cuts must occur by Saturday.
“We have to make decision on certificated staff by May 15,” Opstad said.
Opstad began notifying teachers of layoffs on Thursday.
He made the rounds at Blue Heron Middle School, said sixth grade teacher Roger Mills.
Mills said that one of his colleagues came out of her classroom holding a piece of paper and said, “I thought these were supposed to be pink.”
“It’s a sad situation when teachers are losing their jobs and we are not able to offer the educational program that the community needs,” Mills said.
Funding slashed
The district lost some $300,000 in state legislative cuts and will lose about another $300,000 through declining enrollment, Opstad said.
The state Legislature earlier this year slashed funds for class-size reduction and learning improvement days for teachers and authorized a change in the ratio of teachers to students in the fourth grade, dropping it from 53.2 teachers per thousand students to 47.4 per thousand statewide.
At the same time, the district expects enrollment to drop by 50 to 55 students.
That is a loss of about $5,000 per student. The state reimburses districts for each student enrolled.
Present enrollment is about 1,298, Opstad said.
The enrollment estimate for the present school year — which the district used in budgeting — was too high: 1,346 students. That cost the district; it dipped into its reserves to make up this difference this year.
“We’re trying not to dip into reserves for next year,” Opstad said.
Declining enrollment has been a trend, not only in Port Townsend, but also across the entire North Olympic Peninsula, for the last decade.
In 2009, the district closed Mountain View Elementary School at 1919 Blaine St., because of the slide in enrollment.
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Jefferson County reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
