Lawrence Schools Chief: Current Schedule is Not Golden Standard

A dozen teachers will lose their jobs so the Lawrence School District can make up its $2.75 million budget shortfall, Superintendent Gary Schall said during a presentation about his plan to move the to an eight-period day.

The district will find more savings by “managing time,” Schall said on Tuesday, which includes the elimination of professional time for the 95 high school teachers. That period costs the district about $1.05M. The superintendent also assured students and parents that the new schedule will meet their needs.

“To think we have a golden standard for scheduling would be a mistake,” he said. He added that his plan “is in the best interest of our students and puts the district on the path of a sustainable future.”

The Lawrence schools chief first introduced his in late January, citing the 2 percent tax cap that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has placed on municipalities. Schall said that new mandates and other costs far exceed money raised with taxes at 2 percent. In addition to the new high school schedule, his plan also includes a partnership with a local university to replace nine salaried teachers at the pre-k with master’s degree graduates and a shift of the library to a “research center.”

Lawrence has one of the highest teacher to student ratios in the area at 10 to 1, according to Schall.

“We have very healthy staffing at Lawrence,” he said. “We have to look at this based on numbers now.”

One of the biggest shifts will occur in the science department, which will see the biggest layoffs of teachers. Instead of lab courses occurring every other day, they will be taught every four days — still higher than the state requirement of once a week.

The extra periods will be used for elective and AP courses, Schall said.

“I thought the entire presentation was very well put together and Mr. Schall did an excellent job in delivering his message,” said Lori Skonberg, president of the . “However, some of his numbers served his purpose but did not accurately reflect reality.”

Many students who spoke during the presentation raised concerns that the new schedule will limit their opportunities to take the classes they want.

Schall, however, assured them that that would not be the case and said the school will work with them on a case-by-case basis after winter break. Preliminary schedules should be available by March 21, Schall said.

A recent meeting held with college admissions officers revealed that they are seeking students who receive high grades in the core subjects, according to parents and students who were present. The officers also said the shift in schedule would not hurt students’ chances to get in the college they want.

Board of Education Trustee Dr. David Sussman said that while the district is limited, students could still pursue their passions in their own time.

“A public school has to deliver services to everybody,” he said. “It has to be a compromise.”