38 Staff Layoffs Proposed In Council Rock

In an effort to close a $14 million budget gap, the Council Rock School District is proposing the elimination of 38 positions, including classroom teachers, special education teachers, assistants, and a librarian.

The staffing reductions were outlined during a Wednesday presentation on the $227 million budget proposed for 2016-2017. Reductions will include teachers across elementary, middle, and high school levels, officials said.

Amid the layoffs, the district is assuring residents its primary focus is to protect the quality of education in the district. Superintendent Robert Fraser, in an email to Patch Tuesday evening, said the administration's top priority when making the cuts was identifying reductions "that would not impact teaching and learning."

Given the size of the budget gap, the district had to make difficult decisions, he said.

Positions proposed for elimination at the elementary level include: two classroom teachers; four and-a-half special education teaching positions; 10 special education assistants; a librarian and a STEM specialist.

At the middle school level, proposed for elimination are: one classroom teacher; one special education teacher; and three special education assistants.

High school positions proposed for elimination include: two classroom teachers; 1.3 special education positions; and two special education assistants. Hall monitor hours will also be reduced.

Six clerical aide positions are also proposed for elimination.

The district administration has pledged to work with employee unions CREA and CRESPA to place as many impacted staff members as possible into other vacancies within the district.

The specific details regarding which schools would be impacted by the layoffs has not yet been revealed by the district.

No programs are being eliminated, officials confirmed.

Fraser said despite the reductions, class sizes are not being increased. "Currently our enrollment appears to be down, but it’s only mid-May and we know from experience that entries and withdraws occur between now and the start of the new school year. Thus, we constantly monitor our attendance and transiency patterns not only during the school year, but throughout the summer as well."

Other cuts include: $400,000 in technology equipment purchases; a $200,000 reduction in special education contracted services; a reduction in building allocations for all level schools and others.

Click here to view the full presentation.

The preliminary budget was approved in April and will be considered for final adoption in June.

If the budget is approved as proposed, there would be a 2.4 percent tax increase, which is about $106 for the average homeowner, according to information provided by the school district.