....and "they" think that the schools will go along with a 2.5% increase for health care for teachers after these kind of headlines?????
From John Curry, May 7, 2010
.............get real!!!!!!!!!
School layoff notices go out: 183 Lorain employees to lose jobs
By MEGAN ROZSA
MorningJournal.com, Friday, May 7, 2010
LORAIN — At the end of this school year, 183 employees of the Lorain City Schools will be without a job. The layoff notices were delivered yesterday to Lorain’s teacher and staff unions as well as grant positions within the district. A total of 220 positions have been eliminated.
The difference in people and positions is because some people have already retired or quit and their positions were not filled, Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson said.
Because an 8.97-mill, five-year levy failed at the polls on Tuesday and another levy failed in November 2009, Atkinson said the district has no choice but to lay off staff. If another levy isn’t passed soon, this whole process will be repeated, she said.
“We’ll be back in a deficit if we don’t pass a levy,” Atkinson said. “We’ll get through this coming school year, so more layoffs would come the following year. I don’t want to have to repeat this.”
The layoffs come as a result of the district not receiving any new money in more than 20 years. The district now faces a $9 million deficit at the end of next school year. Atkinson said with these layoffs and a cost reduction plan in place, the district’s budget will be balanced. There are a little more than 1,000 people working for the district. The school board will take formal action to approve the reduction of 220 positions in June.
“This cut and everything combined gives us a balanced budget,” Atkinson said. “These are tough times, and it’s difficult when you have to make these decisions.”
Atkinson has made arrangements with Lorain County’s Employment netWork to provide assistance to all displaced employees. These meetings will be with the teachers and staff on Tuesday and May 18. The Employment netWork provides access to a multitude of services that meet the needs of job seekers, workers and employers in the area.
Lorain Administrators Association President Christine Miller said the union agreed to take concessions on April 28 in order to avoid more members of their union being laid off. Miller said they also believe in the philosophy of putting children first.
The administrators agreed to a 5 percent pay cut. They were owed 6 percent raises — 3 percent in August 2009 and 3 percent in January 2010 — but never got them. Now, they will give back 5 percent and take a one-time, 1 percent raise. They also agreed to pay for benefits that were previously picked up by the board, such as annuities and retirement. Atkinson said in the old contract these benefits were paid to the union members rather than taken out of paychecks, and these new adjustments are now wrapped in with the base pay.
The district is still in negotiations with the teacher’s union and has yet to reach an agreement, Atkinson said yesterday.
Robyn Kniceley, president of the Lorain Education Association, could not be reached for comment.
posted by Kathie Bracy at 11:24 AM
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