Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education eliminated more than 100 teaching positions as it works to close a $50 million budget gap.
The board detailed the plan during a public meeting June 23. Of the teaching positions, 68 were vacant, while 41 were held by K-5 teachers.
The cuts will save CPS more than $12.3 million, according to data from the district, which has said the budget gap is due to a drop in government funding.
The staffing adjustment was made, in part, because the positions weren’t needed anymore based on projected student enrollment, according to a PowerPoint presented during the meeting.
The 41 teachers who are impacted can choose to take on a vacant role in the district that needs to be filled. So, for example, a third grade math teacher could choose to teach elementary school music if that role is currently vacant.
Teachers could temporarily fill a role outside of their license. Parents will be made aware if this occurs, said Julia Indalecio, senior director of HR/Talent.
The majority of the teachers whose positions will be cut are first- or second-year teachers, district officials said, and will make roughly the same amount of money in a temporary role.
District officials did not share at the meeting which schools will be impacted by this change.
Social worker positions also cut
The board also approved cutting eight social worker positions across the district, despite resistance from people who’ve attended their meetings.
Six of the eight of these jobs are currently vacant, the district said. Before the elimination, there were 91.5 social worker positions in the district. This number is higher than what the district previously reported.
The cuts will save the district roughly $955,000.
District officials did not say during the meeting which schools will be affected by the social worker cuts but said each school will have at least one social worker.
Both district parents and employees spoke against eliminating social worker positions in previous meetings because it could affect student well-being and district issues, like chronic absenteeism.
Board members approved the termination 4-3.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Public Schools eliminates 109 teaching, 8 social worker positions
Reporting by Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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