ICYMI: Malden Schools Plan to Layoff Librarians, Other Employees

As many as 20 teachers and other school personnel across the seven Malden Public Schoolscould be facing layoffs, due to a $600,000 budget shortfall, according to a report from the Boston Globe.

The source says the $55.6 million granted to the schools for the fiscal year starting in July has not proven hefty enough to cover the cost of special education state mandates.

The district’s number of students with autism and other behavioral problems has increased significantly in recent years, according to an interview with Superintendent David J. DeRuosi.

“Our costs are growing faster than our budget can support,” he told the Globe. “The reality is, we have so many state mandates, we have no place else to cut.”

Malden Public Schools is currently slated to slash four elementary school librarian positions. In addition, four middle school foreign language teachers, four secretaries, a high school business teacher, an instrumental music teacher, and others could be laid off, reports the Globe.

A union demonstration in front of Malden City Hall drew as many as 50 union members and sympathizers on Tuesday.

“We just want to call attention to our city that our schools will be underfunded,” Union President Marguerite Gonsalves told the source. “We need to do something about this.”

Much more information available in the original story here.

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