San Benito High School teachers will have at least two fewer
days of work in the 2010-11 school year after a district decision
was announced Monday to eliminate two non-instructional days from
the calendar while saving about $110,000.
San Benito High School teachers will have at least two fewer days of work in the 2010-11 school year after a district decision was announced Monday to eliminate two non-instructional days from the calendar while saving about $110,000.
It’s just step one, however, as district officials in the coming weeks are examining ways to fill a nearly $2 million deficit for next school year, and the superintendent stressed how “all avenues” – including layoffs – are on the table.
Superintendent Stan Rose announced the work-day cutback – from 186 to 184 starting next school year, while the statewide minimum stands at 180 – at a division chair meeting Monday morning. The district had the contractual right to reduce the two days, which had been added respectively in 1987 and 1999 for “professional development” using state-allocated funds, which have dried up.
The reduction will amount to slightly more than a 1 percent pay cut for teachers, though staff members designated as “classified” employees will not be included because they did not take part in the additional days when they arose, the superintendent said.
San Benito teachers’ union President Mitch Huerta noted how the district had the contractual right to reduce the two days.
“It’s unfortunate,” Huerta said. “It’s a sign of the times. No one wants to earn less money, but this is what the district is choosing to do.”
At this point, there is no expectation for cutting back the days even further to include classroom time, but it could be an option as school officials get into examining further, necessary cuts in the weeks ahead.
The work-day reduction is a first step of sorts toward reducing what is estimated at a $1.8 million deficit for that same school year, as determined in the governor’s January budget figures.
“So that’s a lot of back-filling we have to do,” Rose said.
The school board is set to meet Feb. 10 to start talks on the potential cuts, with hopes of coming to a decision in early March.
Rose said in those discussions, “everybody’s going to be under the microscope.”
“We’re looking at all avenues, but layoffs in this size of a hole are a very real possibility,” he said.
