Board To Vote On Proposed Certified Staff Layoffs

The Newark Unified Board of Education will vote tonight on potential certified staff layoffs for the 2012-13 school year.

District officials are asking the five-member board to vote on whether to approve a resolution that authorizes a reduction of certified staff that totals 26 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions.

Senior Director of Human Resources Tim Erwin said while the FTE number is 26, about 13 layoff notices will be issued to certified staff members, since the FTE reduction total includes temporary certified staff members whose contracts end in June and staff members’ retirement notices.

Erwin said a change in the date children have to be age 5 to register for kindergarten, declining enrollment and a reduction of programs are the factors behind the proposed certified staff cuts.

Approximately $1 million is saved for every 12.5 FTE reduction, according to Erwin.

District staff is proposing to reduce the following services for the 2012-13 school year:

Particular Kind of Service

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

Multiple Subject

3.0

Multiple Subject Categorical Intervention

8.8

Biological Science (Elementary SRT)

1.0

Junior High Math Categorical Intervention

0.8

Physical Education

2.0

High School Math Categorical Intervention

1.6

High School English Categorical Intervention

1.8

Secondary Counselor PPS Credential

1.0

Secondary Assistant Principal

1.0

Single Subject Social Science

2.0

Single Subject Chemistry

1.0

Single Subject Spanish

1.0

Single Subject English

1.0

Total

26.0

State law requires that school districts issue preliminary layoff notifications to certified staff members by March 15. Final layoffs notifications must be distributed by May 15.

Last May, the district authorized the for the 2011-12 school year, affecting 27 certified employees.

Also at tonight’s meeting, Chief Business Official Elaine Nielsen will make a presentation about Newark Unified’s Second Interim Report for the 2011-12 school district, which is a document that outlines the district’s revenues and expenditures for the current school year.

The board will also take part in a work study session about during school board meetings at 6 p.m. At a Feb. 28 meeting, the board voted 4-1 to remove a clause from its handbook that required all communication devices be turned off during board meetings.

The regular meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the , 5715 Musick Ave. Click here to download the full agenda.