Duquesne+schools+budget+approved;+19+teachers+furloughed

=By Mary Niederberger= =//Published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette//= =//6/29/11//=

= = =The state board of control overseeing the Duquesne City School District approved a $14 million final budget, with no tax hike, that calls for the furlough of 19 teachers.= =The furloughs were approved at Tuesday's meeting and teachers who attended the meeting found out whether or not they were on the furlough list when it was read publicly.= =Board of control chairman Juan Baughn, a special assistant in the state Education Department, said the board had deep regret about the furloughs but had no choice given the financial situation in the district.= =The final budget is contingent upon the anticipated restoration of about $2.75 million of the $4 million in state funds Gov. Tom Corbett proposed cutting in his budget in March.= =That amount has been included in a state Senate version of the budget that has circulated this week. Mr. Baughn said he was confident the Legislature's budget would restore the funding.= =Mr. Baughn was also hopeful the district would receive some additional federal funding. He said if any extra money came to the district, some employees could be recalled.= =The budget also calls for the furlough of four custodians as of Sept. 1 if additional funds are not received. Also furloughed were the parent liaison and the technology specialist.= =The board presented a chart that showed class sizes, after the furloughs, would range from 20-25, which Mr, Baughn said was similar, if not smaller, than other districts in the Mon Valley.= =The final budget restores the extracurricular activities for students in the K-8 Duquesne Elementary/Middle School and sports teams for the 2011-2012 school year, which is expected to be the district's last.= =Earlier this year, officials from the state education department said for the 2012-2013 school year, K-8 students would begin to attend another school district or districts on a tuition basis. That change will require action from the state legislature.= =High school students in Duquesne have attended either East Allegheny or West Mifflin Area high schools since Duquesne High School was closed in June 2007.= =In a related matter, the board approved the dissolution of the intergovernmental agreement it had with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and the education department that called for the AIU to manage the district in return for an annual payment of $300,000.= =Mr. Baughn said Duquesne will use that money to support its own in-house administration.= =The 19 employees furloughed include: two kindergarten teachers; one each, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth grader teachers; one mid-level math, science and English teacher; one drama/theater arts teacher; one music/band teacher; one math coach; two reading intervention specialists; three Success For All facilitators; and one library/media teacher.= =Read more: [] = = = =News= =home=