Colaluca
By Elise Franco
Austintown
School-board members announced a round of staff cuts that will affect mainly nonteaching employees.
Board members voted Monday not to renew the contracts of about 20 paraprofessional positions and eight part-time nurses and Fitch health-clinic staff for financial reasons.
Superintendent Vincent Colaluca said 10 teachers also will be laid off at the end of the school year, as well as two gifted-teaching positions and a Title I coach.
Colaluca said the gifted-learning program itself won’t change, and the loss of the two positions will mean a shuffling of some duties.
These changes will take effect at the end of the 2011-12 school year.
“We’ve been surviving since 1996 without new operating money,” he said. “Unfortunately with the state’s last biennium budget we’re losing $2 million in funding.”
Colaluca said the board’s decision was made with academics in mind, and the teachers to be laid off could be brought back once open-enrollment numbers are tallied.
“With 600 employees and 5,500 students, we’re trying to make the minimum amount of adjustments that will affect academics,” he said. “Of course it’s very difficult to do this.”
The board also approved a resolution to cut hours for 41 bus drivers from four hours to three-and-a-half hours per day, which means they will no longer be eligible for health care through the school district, Colaluca said.
He said bus drivers’ routes now take them about 3,000 miles per day, but a new two-tiered busing system will bring that down to 2,000 miles per day and cut each driver’s hours by one half hour.
For example, the cuts in paraprofessional positions will save about $212,000 per year and teacher cuts about $500,000 per year Colaluca said.
Comments
Blame the republicans and ex governor George Voinavich along with the Cleveland diosece for starting the thievery voucher program back in the 80s. Steals millions from the excellent public schools. Truth is most public schools 95% are educating our children just fine but with reduced funding that will change. Vote for a republican president and keep this ahole rep governor and all public schools will fail.
Keep Kasich and republicans in Columbus and see how funding cuts in education continue. It will be three time worse if Romney is elected, he is already talking about citting the Dept of Education.
Do some research RJ. Voucher program started in Cleveland. Cleveland diosece had there hand in Voinaciches pocket. Charters evolved from it. Republicans jumped on the bandwagon so their buddies could open their own schools therefore we have a total waste of tax payer money.
So you mean to tell me that a bus driver only has to work 20 hrs. per week to get health insurance...This must be the best gig in town...No brainer to cut their hours and stop paying for their healthcare, it had to be costing the district a ton...
Hey drone, what else do they have to spend their money on besides people? The buildings are all fairly new. They have all the books they need.
It's a school - they don't buy raw materials, warehouse them, manufacture them into a product, distribute and sell the products, and all that. They have no other real expenses, aside from maintenance and upkeep of the buildings. So of course them spend the majority of their money on their people. It takes people to teach. Machines can't do it. You could pay minimum wage, and what kind of an education do you think the kids would receive? They'd turn out to be a bunch of drones!
Keep building more schools.
I don't see the wisdom of keeping sports programs and laying off teachers. Sports should be cut before teachers are laid off.
SB5, SB5, SB5. If it is all abought the kids, then why won't these adults go back to the bagaining table. My hats off to the UAW when their backs were against the wall. They stepped up to the plate to secure their future. Part time workers getting health care. I guess there is a place for part time workers as long as the tax payer is footing the bill. Mybe the school board could send this plan to Obama and let him know how he can fund more workers on the tax payers dole.
Bet those teachers would kind of like to re-think that SB5, wouldn't they.
Do the employees of the Austintown School District all pay 15% toward their healthcare and 10% toward their retirement? To hear the unions talk during the SB5 ruckus, these contributions weren't the issue. Apparently they are........
If anyone thinks that the things that are happening in Greece can't happen here, you better think again.
You can say what you want about bus drivers gettiing benefits but it is a thankless job that most of are doing FOR the health benefits ! We don't make big money either. Why is it that no administrators are ever cut?? Bus driving is one job where you can make NO mistakes EVER, you are expected to be perfect. At the board meeting last night the board members were the most arrogant group I have ever seen and they completely ignored the drivers who were there. What else is new?? Drivers are treated like crap and second-class citizens but if they make even ONE mistake everyone takes notice and wants to string them up!
The real shame is that no one is talking about the failure of schools to educate. Not just the inner city schools but all schools have a majority of their graduates who must take remedial classes to learn things they should have known to graduate. Till the schools stop graduating students who don't know the things they should have been required to know there is no reason to fund them. And part time drivers do not deserve benefits anymore than part time judges or elected officials. Let's clean house on the benefit scheme!
What do you expect? The public employee are getting hammered with benefits and pay cuts, that they vote these levies down to survive. It has nothing to do with the school system. Everyone wants the best schools but when it come to family, getting the things it needs to survive ,the schools lose.
Blah-3,000 miles/day is obviously for all 41 bus drivers. I am sure to move as many students as they do they know exactly how many miles the bus routes entail. If you thought EACH driver drove 3,000 miles yes-that would be 750 mph-hard to jump on the bus going that speed.
I like how my comment was deleted for posting the truth. Typical though, especially for the Vindicator, to not put the whole truth out there regarding the Atown schools.
The Department of Education was introduced by President Carter. Prior to the DE the United States was the worlds standard bearer for public education, since the DE our public education was declined.