10 Teachers Let Go by School Board

The Upper Dublin School Board Monday night approved the release of ten professional staff members — four by furlough and six by termination — in an effort to balance the district’s 2013-14 budget by June. By letting go of these teachers, the district will save roughly $620,800. The furloughs and terminations are effective June 30.

Those furloughed are:

• A high school English teacher
• A middle school writing lab instructor
• A high school biology teacher
• A middle school/high school health and physical education teacher

Those not tenured and terminated are:

• A high school social studies teacher
• A Fort Washington Elementary School kindergarten teacher
• A middle school/high school gifted English teacher
• A Fort Washington Elementary School teacher
• A Maple Glen Elementary School teacher
• A Fort Washington Elementary School speech teacher

As of Monday, prior to the furloughs, the district was facing a deficit of about $2.4 million — and that includes the use of about $2.6 million in fund balance and a proposed tax increase, which would generate about $1.9 million. The $2.4 million-figure is down about $387,200 from January due salary freezes and anticipated retirements.  The district is also banking on a savings of about $750,00 due to a new early retirement incentive plan (see that story here), and is looking to save $260,100 through the reduction of support staff, faculty and administrators through attrition or reassignment.

Superintendent Michael Pladus yesterday also proposed the reduction of about $135,000 in student activities and athletics at all school levels and almost $330,000 worth of demotions to be brought forward at the May 13 meeting.

They will affect:

• A French teacher at Sandy Run Middle School
• Two business teachers at the high school
• Four physical education teachers at the elementary schools
• Four music teachers at the elementary schools
• Four librarians at the elementary schools
• A music teacher at the high school.

The demotions and furloughs have nothing to do with a teacher’s performance, according to Pladus, and many of the board members, as well as Pladus, said they regretted having to let ten people go.

School board member Margie Barrett said, “We voted for the legislators who passed Act 1. I don’t want to be cynical about it, but we did. I hope if circumstances change, we can change some of these decisions, but this is what we have to do to pass the budget.”

School board member Debbie Mendelson said she passed the two motions “with a heavy heart.”

Fort Washington resident Anita Brister said the school board should put more pressure on the teacher’s union to freeze their salaries.

“Not one board member has the courage to put a teensy bit of pressure on the teacher’s union,” she said. “The only people who put pressure on the teacher’s union are myself and two others who speak at meetings. With a salary freeze, this all goes away.”

Mendelson said school board members can’t discuss what is said at negotiations, so Brister would have no idea who puts pressure on the union.

Fort Washington resident Richard Petruschke, a staple at school board meetings, said he wanted the board to go with an earlier plan, which called for $3 million in cuts. Pladus countered by saying, “Theoretically, we could go further for more savings, yes, but each demotion also comes with a cost. Higher class sizes or reduced or eliminated electives. Is it possible? Yes. Is it something I’d like to recommend? No.”

On the other side of the issue, one resident said that she would gladly pay more in taxes to help the school district if it were permitted. That comment drew some applause.

And one resident asked a rather simple question … Is this the beginning of a decline in programming for the district? School board president Joseph Chmielewski fielded the question.

“It’s only the beginning of a decline if we all say we’re in a decline,” Chmielewski said. “We have a setback that we have to deal with now, but it will be temporary, and will be rebounded very quickly …This is harsh, but not nearly as bad as in other neighborhoods. I can’t believe residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will stand for this much longer … we have to make sure that [our children] are being educated properly.”