Austintown school board will vote on layoff of personnel tonight

AUSTINTOWN — The Austintown school board is not likely to vote on open enrollment at its meeting tonight, but it is expected to vote on the possible layoff of 37 teachers and 106 other teaching and non-teaching personnel.

Superintendent Doug Heuer’s office notified the news media Monday afternoon that he has changed his plans and will not ask school board members to vote today on whether to allow open enrollment starting next school year.

Board members will “continue a discussion on the topic and its financial implications for next year’s budget prior to being asked for a vote on the issue,” a press release from Heuer’s office said.

The focus of the meeting will be on listing the potential staff reductions for the 2008-2009 school year to offset an estimated $5.4 million deficit by the end of the school year.

The 143 proposed layoffs would be made “with the intent of recalling an, as yet, undetermined number of staff prior to the start of the next school year,” the press release said.

The meeting agenda lists 37 teachers on the reduction list. Heuer previously notified the teacher’s union of the list, saying the list contains the names of teachers who could lose their jobs if the district’s financial condition doesn’t improve.

In separate resolutions, Heuer will ask the board to notify 75 classified employees that their contracts will not be renewed as a result of the closing of Davis Elementary School.

Other resolutions will be sought seeking the non-renewal of contracts for 18 special education teachers, seven long-term substitutes, four speech paraprofessionals, head mechanic John Snyder and part-time band teacher Kelly Zunic.

“The closing of Davis Elementary School and the district’s projected budget deficit next school year have created the necessity of staff reductions,” the press release said.

“The true extent of the reductions cannot be determined until the current school year ends and the [school] board has a final accounting of expenditures and the number of staff leaving the district due to resignation or retirement,” the press release said.