TCSD Cuts 35 Jobs in Tough Board Vote (NY)
March 30, 2011
In its continuous efforts to “right-size” the district in the face of steep reductions in state funding and declining enrollment, the Tonawanda school board Tuesday night approved the elimination of 35 positions, expected to save the district $1.7 million.
The staffing reductions include the elimination of the Family Assistance Center of Tonawanda, or FACT, and a restructuring of principals at the secondary complex on Hinds Street.
While noting that the Tonawanda City School District is among many across the state and country trying to make-do in tough times, Superintendent Whitney Vantine said the cuts were difficult but necessary. “Difficult and, at times, unpopular and, frankly, painful, emotional personnel decisions needed to be addressed,” Vantine said.
“In the end, I am extremely confident that the decisions that have been made and those recommendations this evening will continue to lead this school district forward in a positive manner,” he said.
Vantine also thanked the union leadership for its willingness to work with the district.
The board voted 5-2 to make the 35 position cuts, with Sharon Stuart and Augie Beyer opposing the measure. Beyer had previously voted against the 2010-11 budget, saying that not enough cuts had been made on the administrative side, cuts that could have saved some rank-and-file jobs.
Before the vote, FACT Coordinator Melissa Frawley asked the school board to salvage the program, which she said serviced 94 district families last year through family and individual couns eling and partnerships with other social agencies. She said FACT provides some services that otherwise won’t be available in the community.
“I urge you to reconsider and please allow for more time for this decision to be made,” Frawley said, to no avail.
Board member Betsy Olka asked how the services provided by FACT would continue if the program loses its school district funding. Robert Breidenstein, the district’s assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services, said he counted 17 things that FACT does that could easily be handled by school-based social workers.
“As difficult as this decision was, having a school-based social worker will fill a substantive part of that need,” Breidenstein said.
“It’s not as if we’re trying to say we don’t want to take care of our families,” Vantine said after the meeting.
In addition to eliminating FACT, the school board’s vote Tuesday approved the elimination of the principal positions at the middle school and high school. Instead, since the two buildings are connected, the district will move forward with a plan that calls for one principal for grades six through 12. District administrators will work out who becomes the 6-12 principal, and how many assistants there will be, Vantine said.
“We believe the building size warrants that,” Vantine said of the one principal model, which is in place at other small school systems in the region, such as Royalton-Hartland and Cleveland Hill.
Stuart and Beyer also both voted against the one principal proposal. “I don’t feel I have sufficient information to make an informed vote,” Stuart said, adding that she wanted to see a list of pros and cons of that model, and whether schools with it have see n an increase in disciplinary issues.
Board member Joyce Hogenkamp suggested tabling the measure until more information could be provided to board members, but Vantine cautioned against holding off on a decision, saying that it would delay the transition.
The board’s resolution calls for the two principal positions to be abolished as of July 1, with the new secondary complex principal starting on the same date.