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Hart to warn some 130 teachers of layoff odds(Daily News (Los Angeles) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Feb. 10--SANTA CLARITA -- Officials in the William S. Hart Union High School District will send letters about potential layoffs to some 130 teachers and counselors next month to get ready for pending state budget cuts. "Based on the current projections, those are more teachers than would be necessary to solve our budget crisis," said Sue Guthrie, the district's chief financial officer. "We don't anticipate laying off that many teachers." The layoffs could cut about $6.5 million from the district's budget, she said. The letters will be sent to temporary and probationary teachers and counselors before March 15, Guthrie said. Temporary teachers have either a semester- long or yearlong contract. Probationary teachers are in their first or second year of teaching. California's education laws require districts to notify by March 15 personnel with teaching certificates if they may be laid off for the next school year, Guthrie said. In order to lay off teachers, district officials must negotiate larger class sizes with the Hart District Teachers Association, the local teachers union, she said. If negotiations are successful, final layoff notices would be sent before May 15. Classified, or nonteaching, employees -- such as secretaries, custodians, instructional assistants and campus supervisors -- require a 45-day notice before layoffs, Guthrie said. On March 4, the Hart district's governing board will discuss possible cuts to classified In January, the district instituted an employee furlough day and hiring and purchasing freezes as cost-cutting measures. Friday, which was scheduled as a staff-development day, is now an unpaid day for all district employees. Last year, Hart district officials cut $8 million out of the budget. In the next 2 years, they might have to cut $33.5 million because of reduced money from the state, Guthrie said. To see more of the Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailynews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Daily News, Los Angeles 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. |