CCSD Releases Budget; Our School Gets 29 Positions Cuts

From the LVRJ: The Clark County School Board on Wednesday approved a tentative budget of $1.8 billion for the 2011-12 school year, a decrease of $338 million from the current year's budget. The textbook and school supply budget would be slashed by 50 percent. Administrative and non-school budgets would be cut by 20 percent. Employees would be asked to pay for 20 percent of their health insurance costs. The school district would cut 1,834 jobs for next year, which is down from a previous estimate that 2,486 positions would be sacrificed. District officials increased some cuts to mitigate other proposed cuts, such as limiting increases in class sizes to three additional students and recommending furlough days equivalent to 5 percent pay cuts for all district employees. Superintendent Dwight Jones said the district might have to decrease the 180 instructional days to accommodate the furlough days. The tentative budget still has a hole of $69 million to be determined by further reductions or finding additional revenue. http://www.lvrj.com/news/clark-county-school-board-approves-tentative-1-8-billion-budget-119339974.html First, these budget numbers mean actually nothing. This is all dependent on union-administrative negotiations. There are 4 main unions in the district: Administrative (principals) teachers, support and police. The police union just settled their contract about a month ago. So, now the district has to begin bargaining with the other unions. It is also possible that the District might unilaterally enforce a 170 day school year and make the rest of the days furlough days. They put out the seniority list for teachers and the top number is about 22,500. That's right, there are about 22,500 teachers in the District. There is also a rumor going around, especially with bus drivers, that CCSD is going to sell off the transportation division to a private company, who would then provide transportation. This may not be a bad idea as it probably could make the transportation department more efficient. It is frustrating to see buses come into our school with 1 or two kids on the CCSD special education buses and maybe 4 or 5 kids on the CCSD magnet school buses. Now, at our school, we are losing about 29 positions, including two assistant principals, 3 secretaries including a person with 18 years experience and about 20 teachers. It' highly likely that class sizes are going to be int he upper 40's to lower 50's in regular classes and up to 120 in physical education classes. Most other high school s will only lose about 10-15 positions. We arde losing more because we are losing Title 1 money. Again, this is probably a best case scenario. As usual, it will be a last in, first out scenario, as any bumping and layoffs will be done by seniority. Here is useful hint if you are thinking of becoming a teacher. Get your major in what you like and add a minor in special education and become certified. You will be highly employable. And yet, CCSD is still taking applications for teachers in the District. Why?