UPDATE: Batavia Public Schools to Issue Layoff Notices to 65 Teachers

The Batavia School Board on Tuesday voted in favor of giving layoff notices to 65 Batavia teachers, a move that leaves many in the district feeling uneasy.

The School Board voted 6-0 in favor of a consent agenda that included the layoffs, which will affect non-tenured part-time and probationary teachers for the 2011-12 school year.  deficit this year and uncertain gaps in funding from the state, board members voted unanimously in favor of the administration’s recommendation.

Board Member Matt Winkle said “a flaw in the system” requires district officials to make personnel decisions in March without having a clear picture of how much money will be coming from the state.

“It’s a shame we have to send very good people through unnecessary stress and anxiety before we have a clear revenue picture,” he said.

Those who addressed the Board Tuesday shared the same concerns.

“I’m pleading for these individuals, especially those who probably have a very good chance to be recalled, to not put them through that,” Steve Young told Board members.

A Difficult Process

The Board issues the layoffs as a precaution, mainly in the event of a drastic change in funding for Batavia schools. In other words, the district will not have to pay for positions it cannot afford later if a large chunk of their funding is taken away.

The district is also required by statute to give their teachers layoff notices by spring.

Once the district has a better idea of the funding it will receive later in the year, they can usually recall most, but not all, of the teachers that got layoff notices.

Teachers who are unsure of their fate use the time before possible renewal to look for jobs elsewhere. But for a couple months, their status in the district is basically in limbo.

Board President Ronald Link said school officials are not taking the cuts lightly.

“This is one of the most difficult meetings we have as a board,” he said. “These are people and not positions. They are part of the success of our community.”

Link said the district will “get through this difficult financial time.” In addition to the $4 million deficit this year, the district expects to face a $5 million deficit for the next school year and a $7.6 million deficit in the 2012-13 school year.

District officials say rising costs in employee pay and benefits will outpace two main sources of school money in the coming years: property tax dollars and lagging state funds.

“As we work through this, we’ll come out of this as a better district,” Link said.

Teachers, BEA President Face Board on Layoffs 

Before the vote was taken, Steve Young asked school officials to reconsider the layoffs. 

He added school officials are taking a risk by approving the layoffs, since those teachers could find jobs elsewhere.

“Some of our best people are four-year, non-tenured people,” Young said. “I’m wondering if you’ve considered that? If there is some way in essence to cut back on the cutbacks, please consider that, especially for those people who showed quite a bit of dedication to our district.”

BEA President Tony Malay spoke about the layoffs in front of the School Board Tuesday night and reminded members of the sacrifices teachers made last year during contract negotiations.

“Our hope is to preserve high-quality education in Batavia,” he said. “It’s going to take all of us.”