Steel+Valley+Votes+to+Furlough+55

= Steel Valley votes to furlough 55 = = =

=By Anne Cloonan= =//Published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette//= =//4/27/11//=

=The Steel Valley school board on Tuesday night voted to furlough 40 teachers, counselors, and other professional staff and to furlough 15 support personnel in response to cuts in the state education budget.= =The district is scheduled to receive $2.4 million less from the state during the 2011-12 school year than it did this year. Since the state code says it is illegal to furlough teachers in response to a lack of funds, one stated reason for the cuts was a decline in student enrollment since 2001.= =The furloughs will save the district about $4.5 million.= =In response to a question from the audience Tuesday about why the district needed to save $4.5 million when state cuts were $2.4 million, Mark Cherpak, district business manager, said about $1.25 million will be needed to cover the unemployment benefits that will have to be paid to people losing their jobs.= =The positions to be eliminated include eight elementary teaching positions, two kindergarten teaching jobs and one special education position at Franklin Primary Center.= =One elementary counselor, one elementary literacy coach and one elementary math coach will also be furloughed. Two art positions districtwide, two music teaching jobs districtwide and 2.5 librarian positions will be eliminated.= =In the district's secondary schools, three science, two math, two English and one social studies teaching position will be eliminated. The secondary staff was also reduced by 1.5 foreign language teaching positions and one school nursing, one special education, one physical education, one gifted support, one technology education and one business education position.= =The family and consumer science teaching job and the athletic director's position were both reduced to part-time.= =Support personnel furloughed include nine teacher's aides, four full-time or part-time secretaries, one cafeteria aide and one security guard. A residency aide position was reduced to part-time.= =The nine teacher's aides furloughed were in addition to six special or regular education aides who were furloughed last month. Six custodians were also furloughed last month.= =Last month's furloughs were effective immediately. The furloughs voted on Tuesday night will go into effect for the next school year.= =Though the furloughs of positions were approved Tuesday night, the list of individuals to be furloughed will be voted on during the May 24 school board meeting.= = = = = =Read more: [] = = =

= Steel Valley School Board MOTION 6.14 = = = =News= =home=