[January 28, 2009] Plano teachers won't lose jobs in district layoffs Tweet (Dallas Morning News, The Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jan. 28--Several Plano school employees will lose their jobs under a plan to reduce the district's multimillion-dollar budget deficit. School board members approved layoffs and other personnel actions estimated to save Plano ISD $1.5 million. Targeted are employees in two departments: elementary academic services and library/media services. No teachers would be let go under the plan, the district said. "Like everyone else in this country, the district is tightening its belts to balance its budget," board member Mary Beth King said. Other board members declined comment, deferring all questions to board president Skip Jenkins, who did not return a phone call or e-mail message seeking comment Tuesday. The plan also calls for several central office positions to go unfilled. Plano ISD hasn't revealed the number of people to be cut or the number and types of positions that would remain empty. The district projects it will save $1.05 million through the layoffs and $440,000 by keeping jobs vacant, said Karla Oliver, a Plano ISD administrator. Plano ISD last implemented cutbacks during the 2003-2004 school year, when it eliminated hundreds of jobs through early-retirement incentives and contract terminations. The district is taking other actions to reduce its $14 million budget deficit. The district shaved about $500,000 by implementing energy-efficiency measures and it benefited from the drop in gasoline prices, said Richard Matkin, the district's associate superintendent for business services. Plano ISD and other area school districts have asked state representatives to approve additional money for public schools. But they expect little, if any, extra state funding. "We have to see if the Legislature is going to come up with additional money," Mr. Matkin said. "I'm not sure how many years people can absorb deficit budgets." To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Dallas Morning News Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]