Sun Feb 12 2012
by Tim Troglen
Reporter
Hudson -- There will be layoffs in the Hudson City Schools.
Superintendent Steve Farnsworth made the announcement March 9 at a Hudson Board of Education meeting in the high school media center.
And while he declined to elaborate on which positions or how many employees will be laid off, he said they could be announced as early as "the end of this month."
"We have some outstanding people working in the district," Farnsworth said. "Unfortunately some of those outstanding people will be laid off as a consequence of our belt tightening."
Farnsworth has previously said the "significant" staff reductions would save the district $1 million from projected expenses for the 2010-11 school year.
Farnsworth said the district now needs time to make the appropriate cuts and "time to notify the appropriate people before this goes public."
"But the commitment is real and I'm absolutely positive that this can be done and will be done and that won't adversely affect the education of our students," Farnsworth added.
He first announced Feb. 23 that he was working on a plan of "cost-cutting measures" which would save the district $1 million next year.
He said even if voters approve a 5.9-mill operating levy in May, expected to generate $5.6 million per year, the district would still enact the staff reductions.
"We know that the levy, by itself, will not be enough to sustain us long term," he said. "We must combine the successful passage of the levy with responsible cost-savings measures for long term success."
Board member Patti Engelman said she agreed with Farnsworth's assertion that both cost-cutting measures and levy passage is needed.
"But the key is that we do not want to affect the caliber of our schools," Engelman said.
Farnsworth said 83 percent of the district's budget goes for salaries and benefits. He said that is about the norm for most districts.
"We are in a situation where our enrollment is declining and we have the opportunity to reduce the number of staff members we have without adversely impacting the education that we deliver to our students," he said.
The school district has projected a $1.7 million deficit in 2012 and a $13.1 million deficit in 2013 without the levy. School officials say cuts in state funding and other sources of income will contribute to the deficit.
"We need the levy to pass in addition to the cost-containment efforts we are doing now and will continue to do in the future," Farnsworth said.
E-mail: ttroglen@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3146
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