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McDonald school board cuts 16 jobs for 2010-11
By MARY SMITH
McDONALD
The school board approved the first layoffs brought on by the school district’s planned cuts to get out of state fiscal emergency.
At its meeting Monday, the board eliminated seven full-time teaching positions, representing more than 10 percent of the teaching staff, and nine nonteaching employees — two full time and seven part time — for the 2010-11 school year.
The round of staff reductions, coupled with an expected savings for sharing a school psychologist with Weathersfield schools, should net an estimated $405,000 in savings, McDonald school officials said.
The district has borrowed slightly more than $2 million from the state to meet 2010 expenses, and a recovery plan containing an estimated $874,670 in budget cuts has been approved by the state superintendent of schools and a state financial and planning commission appointed to oversee the district’s spending.
Added reductions are anticipated for next month, Treasurer Brian Stidham said.
In other business, the board approved a $9.492 million appropriation for fiscal year 2010, which includes the $2 million state loan.
The board also entered into a two-year contract with the Weathersfield Board of Education for a part-time school psychologist for two years, at a cost to the district not to exceed $29,000 a year.
The district had contracted with Trumbull County for the services of a psychologist in the past and expects to save about $10,000 a year with the Weathersfield co-op.