Akron schools could slash 300 jobs
AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — Working to trim millions from the district’s budget, members of the Akron School Board’s Finance Committee got a first look at a proposal that would achieve the cuts by slashing nearly 300 jobs.
More than 200 of those are expected to be teachers, tutors and substitutes.
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“Of our 370 million dollar budget about 310 million of it is people’s salaries. The rest of those dollars are very difficult to trim. How do you trim fuel? How do you trim the ability to pick up our students? How do you trim the electric bill? said Dr. Stephen Thompson, the district’s Chief Financial Officer.
“These are legal steps and the collective bargaining agreements and state law is implicated so we want to be cautious in how we lay out information on that process. You also want to be sensitive to employees who have not yet received notification at this time ,” said Yamini Adkins, he district’s Executive Director of Human Capital.
“We have seven unions here at Akron public schools and our meetings while we had difficult conversations were very professional and we do appreciate the cooperation that was received and i do appreciate their understanding, “said Superintendent Michael Robinson.
Patricia Shipe, President of the Akron Education Association told Fox 8 news that she found out the numbers just as the board members did during their Monday night meeting.
“A.E.A had a meeting with HR and with the boards attorney a little over a week ago and at that time the list they gave us had 51 names, from Monday night that 51 turned into 201” said Shipe.
“We are concerned that the vast majority of cuts are right at the classroom door, we think the public has a right to understand that, said Shipe.
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Administrators said that a number of the cuts would come from attrition, by not filling positions after employees retire or leave their jobs
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