School board approves reduction of 14 staff members

The Springfield School District Board voted unanimously Monday night to reduce nearly six full-time positions due to budgetary cuts. Another 8 positions were reduced by retirements and staff resigning their positions for a total of 14 positions eliminated.

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2016-03-22 School board approves reduction of 14 staff members By Nancy A. Cavanaugh ncavanaugh@eagletimes.com SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield School District Board voted unanimously Monday night to reduce nearly six full-time positions due to budgetary cuts. Another 8 positions were reduced by retirements and staff resigning their positions for a total of 14 positions eliminated. Superintendent Zachary McLaughlin explained that the reduction in force (RIF) goes into effect when there is a cut to the budget that has a process described in the collective bargaining agreement. “We are exploring to find out if the statute change means we don’t have to bring these before [the school board] anymore as they’re dealt with in the collective bargaining agreements,” he said. “We will go through the same process we have until we find out.” Due to retirements and resignations, the school district only needed to reduce the equivalent of 5.67 professional positions connected to teacher contracts. The remaining non-contract positions will be handled as two-week notices from the school district, according to McLaughlin. Teachers whose positions were reduced will go onto a recall list and may apply for open positions in the school district. “We have posted a few positions, but we have not filled them pending the recall list,” McLaughlin said. One coaching position was not eliminated because the coach agreed to a half-time position, according to McLaughlin. The reduction of teachers, as well as other reductions made to the budget, saved the taxpayers six cents on the residential tax rate, according to Steve Hier, director of Fiscal Services, in the minutes from the Jan. 19, 2016 meeting. The RIF goes into effect for the next school year.