The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – Teachers from all three Waitsburg schools were present and took turns speaking out against a potential reduction in force (RIF) staff cut during the public comment portion of the May 11 Waitsburg School Board meeting. In response, the board opted to take no action on the proposed RIF plan and will allow the Waitsburg Education Association (WEA) the opportunity to examine other ways to cut the budget.

At the April 13 school board meeting, Superintendent Carol Clarke informed board members of a May 15 deadline to make decisions regarding possible staff cuts for the 2016-17 school year. Clarke pointed to a declining general fund, declining enrollment, and a certificated teaching staff of 3.37 in excess of state allocations as reasons for considering a RIF.

The submitted Reduced Education Plan states, “the number of electives at the high school level will be reduced by one class with the accompanying reduction of one secondary certificated staff position.”

Clarke confirmed that first-year high school social studies teacher Matt Elder was notified in late March that his position could be at risk. Clarke said the Collective Bargaining Agreement indicates that provisional employees are to be laid off prior to those with contracts. She said that Elder was the logical reduction choice since he is the least experienced, provisional, and that there are two senior secondary teachers with the necessary qualifications to teach at the middle and high schools.

At the May 11 board meeting, teaching staff spoke for nearly an hour in support of retaining Elder and finding alternative ways to hone the budget.

WEA President Jim Leid read a prepared statement that challenged concerns about a declining general fund. Leid said that WEA accountants had reviewed Waitsburg’s budget and OSPI paperwork and projected that the reserve for this year will be $665,000, barring any large year-end purchases. He also said the fund had declined in only three of the last 11 years.

Leid noted that the school made major purchases of new athletic uniforms and new math and English curriculum this year, which should be budgeted for replacement every few years. After asking the school board to seek input from the WEA, Leid asked the board to retain Elder since several teachers will be retiring in the coming years.

Fellow teachers took turns praising Elder’s teaching abilities and commitment.

“You have to be 100% sure you’re not going to need another teacher next year because Matt is good. He will be hired elsewhere,” said high school teacher Nancy Bickelhaupt. “Matt won’t be around in July or August. It’s not going to be a matter of ‘we can hire him back.’ It’s getting more and more difficult to get qualified teachers.”

Teachers asked repeatedly if other cuts could be made to offset the approximately $56,000 that would be saved by the RIF. Leid, along with others, failed to receive a response when asking how much the district spent on uniforms this year.

“I’ve heard estimates of $45-$50,000. That’s almost a teacher right there. So, really, has athletics taken the place of a teacher?” Leid asked.

Teachers also made it clear that they felt the loss of Elder would have a much stronger impact than just the loss of one elective from the high school. Middle school teacher Lynnsey Bailey said the proposal would result in the loss of “half a person” from the middle school as well, since she would presumably cover some high school classes.

High School teacher Liv Leid questioned the effect the loss of a secondary teacher could have on achievement scores. Clarke said every teacher would have the necessary endorsements for all core classes and achievement scores should not be affected.

Jim Leid said repeatedly that the community would support retaining a teacher. “You should have put more money in the M&O levy and it would have passed. It’s not like the Capital Projects levy. The community would have supported it,” he said. “You’re going to have people retiring by the time it comes around again and if you want to cut somebody that’s the time to do it. The town wants a good school because that’s what going to make the town.”

Elementary teacher Dinah Lindsey objected to the fact that the staff didn’t learn that there was a possible RIF on the table until after the fact. She said the teachers would have liked the opportunity to come together and discuss solutions much earlier in the process.

High school teacher Roseann Groom said there are many options, such as a modified block schedule, that could happen in the high school, which would keep from impacting the middle school and possibly allow for retaining Elder.

“Don’t give us six weeks to have a discussion. Can we get through this year and then have a year-long discussion? I think there are a lot of great possibilities. You have a fabulous staff – use them!” Groom said.

Board Chair Ross Hamann said he had presided over 180 meetings and these were the first two that teachers have attended and given the input the board needed.

“We have the forums here to dialogue and when we don’t have it we’re left without a lot of information and that’s not fair . . . Everything you’ve said weighs heavy on my heart We’re going to do the best we can to make the right decision,” he said.

When the Reduced Education Plan item was reached on the agenda, the board voted unanimously to take no action on the plan to reduce certified staff by one person. There was no further discussion at that time.