Alamance-Burlington Board of Education members gave interim superintendent Del Burns approval this week to lay off as many as 20 school system employees.
The board authorized Burns to prepare a list of proposed layoffs for it to consider at its June 27 meeting. The board took that action during its Monday night meeting.
The planned layoffs are part of budget-cutting measures the school system has in the works as a result of reduced state funding. Talk of $1 million less in local school funding for 2011-12 had some school board members worried that an additional reduction in the number of employees may be required. Board members Patsy Simpson and Tony Rose both asked how less local funding would affect the school system.
“Will we have to look at another (reduction in force) later on?” Simpson asked.
Burns said that would be a possibility, though he’d prefer finding other ways to save additional money.
The most likely strategy, he said, would be reducing the amount of time some employees work or reducing pay. Burns said cutting services is still an option, but less of one since savings have already been found in that area, and most of the system’s budget goes toward salaries.
“You’re getting close to impacting people,” Burns said, by having “either fewer people or less salary.”
Burns estimated the school system will save about $1 million as a result of the layoffs, combined with measures such as leaving vacant positions unfilled.
Simpson asked if sufficient safeguards are in place to prevent employees from being laid off because of a one-time incident. The reduction-in-force policy says factors to be considered include job performance, seniority and how an employee’s experience and skills tie in with school system needs.
“What exactly does performance entail?” she asked. Burns referred her to the section of the policy spelling out that “formal evaluations and other documentations” would be the criteria.
While the board directed Burns to avoid cuts with a direct impact on classrooms, the reality of the approaching central office layoffs appeared to hit home.
“Could we have done something to keep (the employees)?” Simpson asked.
“There could be other choices,” Burns said, but he followed the priorities school board members outlined in developing the budget.
“We told him to stay away from the classroom” in making cuts, board chairwoman Jackie Cole said.
Burns said any non-certified central office employees could potentially be laid off. Those are the employees who don’t have to be licensed by the state to hold their positions.
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