Akron Schools Drop Ax on Jobs: 116 Cut, Including 82 Teachers; Trims Include Languages, Sports

By Stephanie Warsmith, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

May 16–The Akron school board cut 116 jobs Monday, including 82 teachers.

This will reduce the district’s budget by about $7.3 million for the next school year.

The trims are on top of about $2.9 million in previously approved cuts, bringing the total reductions for the 2006-07 school year to more than $10 million.

“These have been extremely difficult decisions,” said the Rev. Curtis Walker, president of the Akron school board.

The cuts include:

— Foreign languages in elementary and middle schools.

— Instrumental music in elementary schools.

— Junior varsity and freshman sports at every level and all middle school sports. High school varsity sports will continue.

The board cut about $688,000 in supplemental contracts, including assistant varsity coaches and advisers for drama and instrumental and vocal music.

High school marching band was spared, but only with directors — no assistants.

A few staff members likely to lose their jobs were at Monday’s meeting and didn’t take the news well.

“I’m gone,” said Pat Long, a music teacher in the North cluster, shaking her head.

Valerie Hardin, an instructional specialist, said she’s worried about her job and the quality of education her daughter and other Akron students will receive.

“This is still going to touch our kids,” she said. “I want our kids to have the same education I had.”

William Siegferth, president of the Akron teachers union, was angry that no central office administrators were cut. He said the latest reductions raise the number of teachers who have lost their jobs in the past five years to about 500.

“They hit everybody but themselves,” he said. “That doesn’t send a very good message out to people.”

Superintendent Sylvester Small said the cuts were concentrated in areas identified by the school board before the failure of Akron’s operating levy on May 2. He said administrators have been reduced in previous budget cuts and through attrition.

“We’re reducing where we can reduce,” Small said. “If we see spots where we can reduce in administrators, we’ll reduce there.”

Small said the number of people laid off will depend on how many retirements and resignations there are before the new school year. The reductions will be made based on seniority.

School leaders said the cuts will decrease Akron’s projected deficit in the 2007-08 year to about $9 million. The board must balance the district’s budget by June 30, 2007, or face state takeover.

The latest cuts will be included in a new five-year budget that the board will vote on Monday. This revised budget must be submitted to the state by May 31.

If voters approve an operating levy planned for the November ballot, the cuts could be reversed, board members said.

“This is not necessarily forever if we can get the resources we need,” said Linda Kersker, the board’s vice president.

Another levy failure in the fall will mean more cuts, school leaders say.

This will be the district’s third request for additional operating money since last November. “If the levy does not pass, you have not given us any opportunity to do the things we want to do,” Walker said, addressing voters. “We cannot continue to work without the necessary operating funds. You give us no choice.”

The deadline for placing issues on the Nov. 7 ballot is Aug. 24.

Board members chose not to cut certain courses and programs that were included on a list of possible reductions announced before the May election. For example, they trimmed two teachers in Firestone High School’s visual and performing arts program, but did not eliminate the program.

The board also stayed away from advanced placement and honors courses.

“Those are instructional,” Walker said. “We want to have a good school system. You have to have AP and honors courses.”

The reductions do not include any school closings or an acceleration of the building shutdowns already planned. Board members said these will happen if the November levy fails.

Kersker said the cuts will affect all parts of the city, as well as all content areas and programs.

Board members unanimously approved the cuts after meeting for nearly two hours in a closed session. This was their second private meeting to discuss the reductions.

Some board members wanted first to discuss the budget cuts in open session. But, they voted 4-3 against this step, instead going directly into a closed meeting.

Board members Paul Allison, Kirt Conrad and James Hardy were in favor of the open session, while Kersker, Linda Omobien, Shelia Smith and Walker were opposed. They cited an exclusion to Ohio’s open-meeting law for discussion of personnel.

This action angered several staff members and parents at the meeting who wanted to hear the board’s budget discussion.

“You don’t lock people out when you’ve got extenuating circumstances that will decide people’s economic future,” said Rita Rogers, a teacher at Stewart Elementary School. “It’s hard enough to accept changes and closings without even hearing what’s being discussed.”

Walker said the board decided this issue should be talked about in private, especially because particular people’s jobs were being discussed.

“We’re dealing with people,” he said. “A lot of them don’t know what action has taken place.”

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

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