Norristown School Board Cuts Teaching Positions From District Rolls

According to The Times Herald, the school board voted to cut 18 teaching positions on Tuesday night when they adopted their proposed 2012 budget.

The proposed $130 million budget eliminates seven special education positions, three family & consumer science positions, one middle school teaching position and seven high school teaching positions. All of the positions cut in the proposed budget are teaching and support positions, which concerned Education Association of Norristown Area (EANA) President Lee Speers.

"Our biggest concern is that the teaching and support staff have seen the elimination of positions while there has been no elimination of administration positions," Speers told the Herald. "We are trying to have those discussions now. It’s the first time in my 24 years in the district that anyone has been furloughed."

According to the Herald, the board also adopted a six-month hiring freeze for several open positions including those for a family outreach coordinator, special education and curriculum and instructions supervisors and two secretaries and denied two staf grievances.

The total proposed $130,179,620 budget, which a 2.55% increase in the millage rate, was adopted with only board member E. Pearl Smith voting against. The proposed budget is expected to be finalized later next month.

Read more about Tuesday night's school board meeting here.

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