Elmbrook Delays Issuing Layoff Notices

While teachers in some school districts across the state are receiving potential layoff notices today, Elmbrook School District administrators will not issue notices until April 8.

Administrators and the teachers union reached an agreement to delay issuance of preliminary layoff notices due to the level of uncertainty about state and local budgets and collective bargaining. 

Typically, preliminary notices would be filed by March 15, with final notices filed by May 30, said Christine Hedstrom, Elmbrook's assistant superintendent for human resources.

The March 15 deadline often has been problematic because the district has to issue notices before it has a better picture of student enrollments, teacher retirements, resignations and leaves of absences, and its budget.

Last year Elmbrook issued 41 preliminary layoff notices, but by May 30 recalled all but about three employees, Hedstrom said.

"Every year we go through this dramatic preliminary layoff approval," Hedstrom said. "This year we're trying to avoid some of that drama. This is such a difficult climate."

She said that the memorandum of understanding signed by the district and union extending the layoff notice deadline ensures the district will not face legal challenges that led the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to urge districts to issue notices of nonrenewal by Monday.

In a related matter, Hedstrom said there have been no unexcused absences by teachers this week. She said there were "just a handful of teachers" who had unexcused absences last Friday to attend protests in Madison. None called in sick or presented medical excuses from physicians seen handing out medical notes outside the state Capitol, she said.

Hedstrom would not say how many teachers were involved, what discipline was imposed or what range of discipline they could have faced.

"We followed up appropriately," she said.

Both Hedstrom and Janelle Geyser, president of the Elmbrook Education Association, said they were aware of no jobs actions taken or planned.

"We haven't had any issues with job actions," Hedstrom said. 

The union was planning to meet with its members Thursday night, and the School Board's Personnel Committee is meeting in closed session Friday morning to discuss the unsettled 2011-13 teachers contract.