District’s schools cut staff amid cash woes
Future of Wayne-Westland has union official concerned
Shelby Tankersley
Wayne-Westland Community Schools employees say recent layoffs and talk of privatizing district transportation services feel like a slap in the face.
Both actions are happening following the recent discovery of a budget shortfall in the district. Superintendent John Dignan and his administrative staff are trying to make budget cuts to avoid the state of Michigan taking control of day-to-day operations.
The most recent budget cut — 39 part- and full-time positions — was announced Dec. 1. The layoffs go into effect when the winter semester begins in January. Some positions have been reclassified so they can be paid through grant funds.
“I’m concerned about the direction this district is going,” said Jeff Marti, president of the Michigan Education Association Local 4, which represents the district’s part-time employees. “We really haven’t seen what money is being saved with layoffs and we still haven’t seen a plan from the administration on what we’re doing.”
Wayne-Westland employs more than 1,600 people and has roughly 9,800 students enrolled.
Dignan said the layoffs are an attempt to cut costs without disrupting district operations.
“We have been able to identify areas where change can occur without impacting the essential educational services being provided to our students and families,” the superintendent said in an emailed statement. “As a result, Wayne-Westland Community Schools notified individuals of layoffs and restructuring in this effort to begin to right-size the district.”
Wayne-Westland is also looking at whether it will hire a private transportation company, a move that would likely cut costs and, staff members fear, lead to lost jobs. The
vigil outside of Henry Ford Hospital for the longtime Detroit activist, who was on life support after his heart attack, expressing hope that he would heal and speaking of his past work of battling for justice.
Shabazz is known for fighting against crime and violence in Detroit, demanding justice for victims of gun violence, along with raising awareness of cold cases and shutting down drug houses.
Among those was the Rev. W.J. Rideout III, who said that in the 1980s, the owner of a supermarket on Chene Street beat a customer to death and it was Shabazz who came into his neighborhood to stand against the violence.
Shabazz’s wife, Akilah Redmond, said at the vigil that Shabazz’s work is done with love for Detroit and for the people.
Free Press reporter Andrea Sahouri contributed to this story.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@ freepress.com or 313-635-3491. Follow her: @DanaAfana.