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Layoffs Coming to Anchorage School District This WeekOfficials say with flat funding, cuts will be an issue every yearRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - Pink slips for teachers: About 40 Anchorage School District employees will be laid off this week. That's according to school officials who say they had no choice. The teachers’ union says students will ultimately pay the price. Officials say with flat-funding from the state, cuts and layoffs among teachers are expected to be an issue every single year if nothing changes. It’s a reality of teaching in the Anchorage School District. Pink slips are being handed out across the board. A month ago, 140 positions were put on the chopping block because of budget cuts. The teachers with less experience are the ones who are getting the ax. “We are giving actual real layoff notices,” said ASD Superintendent Carol Comeau. “Our budget cuts and the amount of funding available to us requires us to lay off roughly between 37 and 39 teachers.” In the past legislative session, lawmakers failed to increase the base student allocation, which limits how much money is given to school districts throughout the state. School officials say they had no choice. “The sad thing is that we know we're going to lose some really outstanding employees,” said Comeau. “If you’re a student looking forward to taking French next year at Service High School, you’re pretty disappointed,” said Anchorage School Board President Gretchen Guess. “In a normal year, maybe 200-some people either retire, resign, quit, whatever, and they can easily absorb cuts like this,” said Anchorage Education Association President Jim Lepley. “In this particular case with the funding levels the way they are, it just wasn't possible.” With the list of layoffs changing pretty much every single day, it’s an impact educators agree will affect students in the classroom. School officials say the proposed cutbacks will eliminate good programs. “For people who say it doesn't make any difference, or that we are spending too much money, well, if we spend half the amount of money and got rid of half the teachers, class sizes would be double – I mean is there we want to go?” asked Lepley. School officials say they're disappointed. But with state lawmakers refusing to budge, how our students will be educated remains to be seen. “You don't run for office to have teacher layoffs,” said Guess. “We continuously are kind of flat-funded, we’re finding efficiencies in doing things differently, but I don't see changes in the future to these cuts.” Clerical and other positions will go as well. The legislature gave the Anchorage School District one-time funding of $9 million, but school officials say it's not fiscally responsible to use that money to save jobs even for one year. Guess says starting on May 21 the school board will have conversations with the school district about the cuts to make sure they are in line with the district's commitment to a well rounded education. |
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Robo said on Tuesday, May 15 at 4:18 PM
Enough....just how much money does it take to educate the children in Alaska? Comeau never has enough money to spend, glad this is her last school year. Maybe the next superintendent can fix the rampant spending and to Ms. Guess, money is not the issue, but the problem. The citizens only can pay so much out of their paycheck to the government --when you reach 95% graduation, then ask for more, till then fix the failing school system.
90950976Anonymous said on Tuesday, May 15 at 4:05 PM
There are estimates that high school classes will have up to 40 students per class. There is no way my kids can learn anything in that kind of environment. I don't care how good a teacher is, at some point their job is going to turn into crowd control rather than preparing my kid for college, a career, and life. Some of these classrooms don't even have room for 40 kids. Are they going to have the kids sitting on the floor! Alaska State Legislature and the governor needs to think about their choices and remember that our state will fall apart if we do not properly take care of the education of our youth.
90949924Anonymous said on Tuesday, May 15 at 11:13 AM
This was bound to happen, as the money Pres. Obama gave schools about 3 years ago, is no more. Anchorage and other school districts knew the money was only temporary, but did nothing to secure the money from other means to keep these jobs. The Valley is laying off some teachers as well.
90925106Anonymous said on Tuesday, May 15 at 10:47 AM
which schools are enrollment going up in?
90922635Anonymous said on Tuesday, May 15 at 10:30 AM
What about the fact that enrollment in going up in some Anchorage Schools?
90920794Bad4us said on Tuesday, May 15 at 9:40 AM
Maybe the school districts shouldn't pay for out of state "strengthening" classes for principals.
90916236Anonymous said on Tuesday, May 15 at 9:40 AM
The student enrollment is going down so it is only logical number of employees should go down!!!Plus the shool district gets 52%of our property taxes already!!!
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