The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

July 2, 2009

County schools facing major cuts

Whitted: ‘All schools will be impacted in staffing and funding’

KIMBERLY BELLAMY

There are a few factors that have resulted in Edgecombe County Public Schools staff layoffs, but probably none as great as the projections for the 2009-10 state budget, which legislators still haven’t come to consensus on.

“We’re just trying to work with the information we have at this point,” said Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon.

The state is the school district's largest funding source and allotted Edgecombe $46,359,503 last year, then asked for $292,616 back to cover a $117 million reversion target.

The district expects to receive $43,941,634 for fiscal year 2009-10, a decrease of over $2 million.

The data they have has been reason enough to make cuts in classroom teachers, teacher assistants, administrators, instructional support staff, non-instructional support staff, career technical education and at-risk student services.

“All schools will be impacted in staffing and funding,” said Roland Whitted, associate superintendent of human resources.

Witherspoon said the decision of who was cut where was based “primarily on the enrollment at the school … we want to be equitable.”

Instead of completely letting staff go, some transfers have been made to fill vacancies.

“We have done some of that where it fits,” Witherspoon said.

Despite the layoffs, there are vacancies listed on the school system Web site for one non-licencsed classified position of occupational therapist, and five licensed certified positions.

Those positions includes a birth-kindergarten teacher at Stocks Elementary, family and consumer science teacher at North Edgecombe, a school-based instructional technology facilitator and science teachers at Roberson Center for Education Achievement and SouthWest Edgecombe High School. All positions are listed as open until filled.

Witherspoon said that although there may be layoffs over all, teachers are still needed with certain expertise.

The six vacancies are a decrease compared to the 27 vacancies the district had last July.

Another factor that has contributed to the district’s decision to let staff members go is a decrease in average daily membership (ADM).

"There will be possible reductions in all areas, depending upon school ADM and final allocations from NC DPI (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction)," Whitted said.

The ADM has decreased by 216 from 7,455 to 7,239. This is partly due to the new state date for kindergarten children of Aug. 31 instead of Oct. 16.

"That's typical (decrease in ADM) in any given year," Witherspoon said.

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