Euclid Schools announces cuts

Positions, programs eliminated; wage freeze instituted

The Euclid School Board approved additional cuts to staff, programs and expenditures to meet budget constraints.

The Euclid School Board recently approved additional cuts to staff, programs and expenditures to meet budget constraints, the district has confirmed.

According to the school board, the cuts come after the defeat of a renewal levy in 2018 and an emergency levy in 2019. If passed, the levies would have funded $5.6 million of the district’s operating budget yearly.

Cuts approved at the board’s April 8 meeting include:

• Eight elementary school teaching positions

• 14 elementary school tutor positions

• Five Central Middle School teaching positions • Four Euclid High School teaching positions

• Elementary dean of students position

• Two and a half high school career tech education programs to be replaced with new career tech programs.

The cuts will take effect at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

In addition, the board said within a month’s time it will consider other administrative changes, including restructuring due to financial conditions that impact the district.

“Identifying the new cuts that will occur for the 2020-2021 school year has been, once again, a grueling process for the board, our leadership team, and our employees,” said Board President Donna

Sudar.

“All of our staff and the programs they support are part of student success. We certainly value all of our caring and professional staff. This is one of the most challenging duties we have as board members.”

In an effort to improve the district’s financial situation, the board said it will offer a one-time retirement incentive contingent upon 10 full-time equivalent teacher retirements. If the retirement incentive is realized, it would result in about $300,000 savings to the district’s general fund for each of the next five years.

Cuts prior to the start of the 2019-20 school year included elementary music and middle school art programs; various district-wide athletic programs; decreased transportation services; and 10 teaching, five administrative and eight classified positions.

The district also implemented a wage freeze, the school board reported.

Superintendent Christopher Papouras noted that since the vote on the 8.7mill, 10-year emergency operating levy on March 17 was delayed, the district needed to move forward for the possibility of no renewal.

“This was a procedural requirement and official notices would be sent to individuals after the election date,” he said. “This is in agreement with the Euclid Teachers Association to wait until after the election results.

“Issue 27 will not fully replace the renewal levy that expired in 2018 and the past two (levy) failures resulted in revenue that the district will not recover — many cuts will remain regardless of the levy outcome.”

CHAD FELTON — THE NEWS-HERALD The Euclid School Board recently approved further staff and program cuts, the second adopted action resulting in the reduction of teaching positions and extracurricular activities in less than a year. The cuts will take effect at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.