OKC schools to cut 92 administrators

Amid budget crisis, superintendent says reductions will save $5.1M

More staffing cuts in the Oklahoma City school district were announced Thursday.

Superintendent Rob Neu said 92 administrative positions will be eliminated for the school year beginning July 1 to save $5.1 million.

“We are forced to make these difficult decisions as a result of the statewide $1.3 billion revenue failure, and a $30 million reduction to the OKCPS,” Neu said in a statement.

The 92 position reductions announced Thursday account for 18 percent of the district’s administrative staff; 59 positions are central office administrators, and 33 are school site administrators.

Neu announced March 23 that 208 teacher positions — or 8 percent of the district’s total — would be cut in 2016-17 to save $8 million.

District spokesman Mark Myers said another $17 million in reductions to programs, services and operations would be announced by the next school board meeting on April 25.

Oklahoma City Public Schools — the state’s largest school district with 46,000 students —

expects to make $30 million in budget cuts over the next two years, Neu said.

Oklahoma legislative leaders announced last week they would seek to limit cuts to public education as they prepare for the $1.3 billion shortfall for the next fiscal year budget. House Speaker Jeff Hickman said he would seek to cap education cuts at 5 percent, which is less than the nearly 10 percent cut the district is expecting.

“We know that’s what he said, but we have to start preparing now based on the information that has been shared with us by the department (of education),” Myers said.