Katy ISD to Reduce Central Office and Non-Campus Based Personnel
As part of the reductions aimed at making up the $27 million shortfall in state funding in the 2011-12 budget, the district began the process earlier today of notifying approximately 70 non-campus based employees that their positions will be cut.
Approximately 176 positions will be cut as part of this action. The number of staff members actually impacted is lower than the number of positions cut due to vacancies already created due to attrition. The affected positions are in central office administrative and professional staff, non-campus based paraprofessional staff, and maintenance and custodial personnel. In addition, individuals whose positions are cut will be eligible to interview for positions that may exist at the campuses.
“This phase of cuts is necessary in order to hire back teachers and campus-based support staff, and allows the district to continue payments for employee health insurance and to maintain current transportation services,” says Katy ISD Superintendent Alton Frailey. “As we saw our budget picture improve from what all indicators were pointing to in the spring, our first step was to look at our campus staffing to see how we could bring back as many teachers as possible. While just as difficult as the first round of layoffs this spring, reducing our staffing in non-campus based personnel allows us to bring back teachers into the classroom where they are most needed.”
Frailey added that while the loss of personnel in the maintenance and custodial divisions will have an impact on services at the campuses and departments, the district will work to mitigate any large negative impact this may create.
At its July 25 meeting, the Katy ISD Board of Trustees approved a campus staffing plan that allowed for the rehiring of 214 out of 267 teachers who had originally lost their jobs in April. At that time, the district was looking at a $50 million dollar shortfall and a state mandated April 19 deadline to notify teachers of their employment status for the 2011-12 school year. Between April and July, more than 100 teachers were able to find other teaching positions within the district as others voluntarily resigned or retired.
“The Board recognizes that this has been a very difficult time for our employees and our community as we have had to wrestle with the implications of reduced funding from the state,” says Katy ISD Board President, Joe Adams. “Overcoming a $27 million funding shortfall is not an easy task and I commend everyone who has worked diligently over the past several months to ensure that we have a sound, fiscal budget for the upcoming year.”
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