The Nelsonville-York High School cafeteria was filled with concerned faculty at the Nelsonville-York City School District School Board meeting last night. The reason for their appearance was Superintendent Ted Bayat's recommendation that 10 positions in the district be eliminated.
These 10 job cuts will eliminate jobs for a cook, a bus driver, a high school intervention aide, one each of a 1st, 5th and 6th grade aide, one bus aide, a literacy aide, a maintenance custodian and a regular custodian.
Sheila Kline, a secretary in the district and president of the OPSE Local 400, the union of non-certified employees, read a statement about the union's opinion of the proposed position elimination.
Have all options been pursued? Kline said. I don't think so. Union members wondered why no cuts were made in the administration, Kline said.
School board Vice President Gary Edwards said administrators only received a 3 percent raise last year, while the teachers received a 4 percent raise.
Mary Jane Dean, a teacher in the district, came to the meeting with a letter signed by almost all the district's teachers that detailed the importance of the aides, who help with handicapped students, math intervention, and lunch, bus and recess duty.
Cliff Warren, a bus driver with the district, said bus aides were necessary to help with handicapped students and help preschoolers cross the street. Warren said eliminating a bus driver could force students to be on the bus longer and get to school later.
I can't believe we are putting dollars ahead of the safety of our children
Warren said.
Board member Tim Maiden told the staff members that several of the positions were established using grant money that ran out last year and should already have been cut. Keeping these positions, along with other internal matters, have put the district at a deficit for this year and cutting them would help balance the budget.
The superintendent's recommendation was tabled for the time being, but Edwards said that does not mean the issue was over. The board will continue to discuss the cuts at meetings to be held throughout the month.
We spent more money last year than we had and we can't do that Maiden said.
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