Schools
Ramona Schools Looking at Seven Layoffs
The board of trustees approved issuing layoff notices to seven teachers districtwide by March 15. Another seven temporary positions also will be eliminated but may return in the fall.
Seven preliminary layoff notices will be distributed to Ramona Unified School District teaching personnel by March 15. The board of trustees unanimously approved a resolution for the action at a special board meeting on Tuesday.
This is the fewest amount of layoff notices in recent years, according to David Ostermann, assistant superintendent of administrative services. He said that more than 85 percent of the district budget goes toward salaries and benefits.
The district is facing a nearly $6 million revenue reduction with a projected low enrollment for the 2011-12 school year. In addition, there could be another reduction of $2.1 million with the loss of additional average daily attendance (ADA) funding by the state.
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The exact amounts will not be known until the state budget is approved and after the June election, when voters will decide whether certain taxes will be extended.
The preliminary layoff notices approved for the 2011-12 school year are: two full-time music teachers and one special education teacher at the elementary level; one English teacher and one science teacher, both full time, and a part-time English language development teacher, all at the middle school; and a part-time math teacher at Ramona High School.
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In addition, seven temporary positions that come under categorical funding will be eliminated. This is a board action that is taken every year at this time. If funding from the specific categories, such as Early Start Kindergarten and Title I and Title II programs, becomes available, the positions are reinstated in fall.
“We can’t guarantee categorical funds,” said Joe Annicharico, assistant superintendent of Human Resources Development, explaining it has been required by state law for the past six years that the temporary positions be eliminated annually.
Board President Rodger Dohm expressed the trustees' concerns.
“This is the last thing we want to do as a board ... to lay people off,” he said. “We know they have jobs, they have families. It’s not affecting just one person. … It’s not a pleasant thing we have to do. It’s not a very comfortable thing even though it’s the least amount of layoffs.”
