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By John Higgins
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:22 p.m. EDT, Mar 30, 2009
Akron Public Schools will eliminate 17 administrative jobs to save more than $1.6 million a year.
''We've never cut 17 at a time,'' said school board President James Hardy, who supported the cuts. ''I can't remember when we've done so many at a time. We usually do it through attrition.''
The board voted on the cuts at a special meeting on Monday.
Superintendent David James said he would make the cuts even if the district didn't face a looming $37 million deficit in 2011.
''As I've started to look and my team has started to look at the district, I think many of those reductions and cuts I would have wanted to make anyway,'' James said. ''The pressure of trying to balance our budget has brought this reorganization to the forefront.''
One job will be reduced to a lower-paid position when the director of library/media services retires and is replaced with a learning specialist next year.
The program manager of the Saturn alternative program for middle-school students is being eliminated, because the program already has merged with a similar one, James said.
The eliminated positions are:
• Elementary schools executive director.
• Testing, research and evaluation director.
• Library/media services director.
• Saturn program manager.
• Adult vocational services coordinator.
• Special-education coordinator.
• Elementary learning specialist.
• Broadcast communications manager.
• Two middle-school principals.
• Three elementary-school principals.
• Four middle-school assistant principals.
Some of the reductions are directly related to the closing of five schools at the end of this school year. The schools that are closing are Erie Island, Lincoln and Stewart elementary schools, and Goodrich and Riedinger middle schools.
The district also is closing the adult vocational center and the Guinther administration building.
Other cuts are designed to align the administrative staff with James' five strategic goals: ''high-quality teaching and learning; high-caliber employees; public engagement; financial stability; and safe, secure learning centers,'' according to the district.
''For the first time ever, there is going to be a senior staff member responsible [for each goal],'' Hardy said.
Hardy is proposing that school board members be assigned responsibility for each of those goals as well.
James said he expects that reductions in union staff will be announced in April.
''As our budget committee works through those, that will be the next piece we're dealing with,'' James said.
Some of those layoffs will be related to the school closings, with the remainder based on enrollment projections throughout the district.
James said more administrative cuts might be coming, depending on the district's financial outlook and what happens with the governor's proposed education budget.
''We're trying to keep those cuts as far away from the classroom as possible,'' James said.
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Akron Public Schools will eliminate 17 administrative jobs to save more than $1.6 million a year.
''We've never cut 17 at a time,'' said school board President James Hardy, who supported the cuts. ''I can't remember when we've done so many at a time. We usually do it through attrition.''
The board voted on the cuts at a special meeting on Monday.
Superintendent David James said he would make the cuts even if the district didn't face a looming $37 million deficit in 2011.
''As I've started to look and my team has started to look at the district, I think many of those reductions and cuts I would have wanted to make anyway,'' James said. ''The pressure of trying to balance our budget has brought this reorganization to the forefront.''
One job will be reduced to a lower-paid position when the director of library/media services retires and is replaced with a learning specialist next year.
The program manager of the Saturn alternative program for middle-school students is being eliminated, because the program already has merged with a similar one, James said.
The eliminated positions are:
• Elementary schools executive director.
• Testing, research and evaluation director.
• Library/media services director.
• Saturn program manager.
• Adult vocational services coordinator.
• Special-education coordinator.
• Elementary learning specialist.
• Broadcast communications manager.
• Two middle-school principals.
• Three elementary-school principals.
• Four middle-school assistant principals.
Some of the reductions are directly related to the closing of five schools at the end of this school year. The schools that are closing are Erie Island, Lincoln and Stewart elementary schools, and Goodrich and Riedinger middle schools.
The district also is closing the adult vocational center and the Guinther administration building.
Other cuts are designed to align the administrative staff with James' five strategic goals: ''high-quality teaching and learning; high-caliber employees; public engagement; financial stability; and safe, secure learning centers,'' according to the district.
''For the first time ever, there is going to be a senior staff member responsible [for each goal],'' Hardy said.
Hardy is proposing that school board members be assigned responsibility for each of those goals as well.
James said he expects that reductions in union staff will be announced in April.
''As our budget committee works through those, that will be the next piece we're dealing with,'' James said.
Some of those layoffs will be related to the school closings, with the remainder based on enrollment projections throughout the district.
James said more administrative cuts might be coming, depending on the district's financial outlook and what happens with the governor's proposed education budget.
''We're trying to keep those cuts as far away from the classroom as possible,'' James said.
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Go Steelers!!!!!, .
Posted 08:33 PM, 03/30/2009
It had to be done. Now it's time to take the scalpel to the teacher rolls.
Akron, Oh
Posted 08:34 PM, 03/30/2009
You are preparing to tear down Portage Path Elementary School. I strongly suggest that APS build no school on its foot print and consolidate. You will save money and no child will be "left behind" and you know it.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:02 PM, 03/30/2009
Bilbo, are you onto something that the rest of the citizens don't know about? Please explain further.
rmk, akron
Akron, OH
Posted 10:35 PM, 03/30/2009
That's an AVERAGE of $94,117.65 per position! And that's just what they are cutting? What pay scales are they keeping? Who says teachers are underpaid?
Stow, OH
Posted 10:58 PM, 03/30/2009
Mall Rat: Keep in mind that this is based on the administrator's pay scale. The teacher scale in Akron ranges from roughly $34,000 for someone with no experience and a bachelor's degree to $76,000 for someone with 27 years and a Ph.D. Most teachers, of course, are somewhere in between.
akron, oh
Posted 12:31 AM, 03/31/2009
I dont understand why the public schools need 2 principles and 3 vice principles??
Are the kids that bad??
The private schools are not like that.
The school my children attend has one of each.
Stow, OH
Posted 07:48 AM, 03/31/2009
volleymom: Keep in mind that private schools are allowed to not accept or easily remove students who are disruptive and compromise others throught their behavior. Public schools must keep them all. That is one of the major differences between public and private schools.
