School Board Votes to Eliminate Positions, Cut Hours

Elimination of numerous positions and the reduction of work hours were finalized by unanimous votes from the Newark Unified School Board of Education during Tuesday’s board meeting.

The approval authorized the elimination of 23 full-time equivalent positions for the 2011-12 school year, affecting 27 certificated employees who will either have their positions eliminated or their work hours reduced.

The board also voted to reduce nine classified services and reduce work days for a number of classified management, confidential and supervisory employees.

All of the resolutions dealing with staff changes were lumped together and voted on as a single item. To see all of the staff changes approved by the board, download the agenda packet here.

The only comment from the five-member board about the decision to eliminate and reduce the positions came from Board President Charlie Mensinger, who suggested each item be voted separately because the resolutions seemed “more personal.”

The rest of the board disagreed.

Board members also discussed the estimated cost of searching for and hiring a new district superintendent once .

Steven Shields, chief business official for the district, suggested that the board set aside a budget of $35,000 for the project.

The cost of services when the was searching for a top chief before Harrigan's hiring in 2008 was  $28,750, according to Shields.

Shields made several suggestions for funding the project.

He said that the board’s budget allocation for discretionary expenditures is about $13,750, with another $5,000 in encumbered monies. He suggested $12,500 of that be reserved for the hiring process.

In addition, the position may be vacant for a part of the next fiscal year, so any salary allocated to that period in the district budget can go toward the project as well, he said

The board agreed to add a superintendent search item to a future meeting agenda to discuss the issue further.

Several people attended to the meeting to plead with the district to revisit cutting the district’s music and art programs in the junior highs.

Music students and parents said the programs are very  important to the students and parents may transfer their children to private schools if the district will no longer offer them.

Members of the board agreed to add an agenda item in a future meeting for discussion, but not to vote on other potential options for the music department.

Harrigan said that they are researching partnerships, but those partnerships take time, so they can look at adding the discussion in mid-May or June.

“I would caution us to look very carefully at reinstatement, but instead look at optional program design,” Harrigan said.