More than a few Clarkston school employees will take advantage of a one-time severance incentive, leading to significant savings in next year’s district budget.
The monthly personnel report at Monday’s school board meeting also contained two ‘terminations? which led Trustee Tony Miller to vote against approval of the entire list.
The board routinely approves new hires and resignations, but the April report was significant with the inclusion of 39 certified teachers and 15 support personnel who will leave in June thanks to the financial incentive package.
‘I’m amazed,? board President Karen Foyteck said. ‘I never anticipated it would go this high.?
Linda Nester, executive director for personnel and auxiliary services, said the combined experience of the 39 teachers (which also includes John Diliegghio, executive director for middle and high school curriculum) equals 1,167 years.
‘That’s a lot,? Nester said. ‘It will be difficult to replace them.?
What some have called ‘brain drain? was anticipated, but the board previously approved the severance incentive as part of a cost-cutting plan for the 2004-2005 school year.
As proposed, if at least 20 veteran teachers agreed to resign at the end of this school year, they would receive $30,000 in January 2005 and $15,000 in January 2006. The same payment was offered to administrators, while support staff was offered payments equal to about 73 percent of their base salary in 2005 and about 36 percent in 2006.
With more than 30 taking advantage of the plan, the teacher/administrator payout will be higher, but the district still expects to save at least $500,000 in next year’s budget.
The group includes seven teachers from Clarkston High School, five from Clarkston Middle School, nine from Sashabaw Middle School, five each from Andersonville and Bailey Lake elementaries, three from Springfield Plains, two from Pine Knob, one from North Sashabaw Elementary and one social worker from Student Support Services.
While the response to the severance package helped the district avoid budget-related teacher layoffs, the report did include two pink slips for foreign language teachers under the category of ‘reduction of personnel.?
Nester later said those terminations were ‘student-driven? based on student registration for classes next year, and ‘dips? in student interest in different languages are normal.
In addition, one tenured teacher is expected to return from a leave of absence, so one non-tenured teacher had to go. Nester said one of the teachers may be called back, but contracts require the district to give layoff notices no later than April.
Contract terms were followed in the case of the two terminated high school custodians, and will be followed in the appeals process, officials said, but Miller offered a motion to remove those names from the personnel report.
His motion failed for lack of a second.
‘I was just asking for time,? Miller said after the meeting. ‘I wanted to investigate this.?
Nester would not comment on details of the terminations.
‘It’s a personnel matter,? she said. ‘We’re following the procedures.?