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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Kanawha County's school system is planning to have about 90 fewer positions next fiscal year because of a shrinking budget, but officials said most of the position cuts will not result in job losses.
West Virginia school systems often can cut many positions without laying off current employees because of numerous annual retirements among the state's aging workforce.
There are 52 teacher position cuts planned for next school year, but the cuts have led to only four teachers altogether losing guaranteed jobs next school year, Kanawha County Schools' human resources specialist Kim Olsen told The Charleston Gazette-Mail (http://bit.ly/1rnvySr).
Of the 36 "service personnel" positions to be cut by July 1, about 20 employees, including custodians, cooks and classroom aides, will be losing guaranteed jobs, said Tabetha Gillespie, a human resources specialist for the school system.
Much of the $2.3 proposed million budget decrease is due to a 590-student drop from last school year, Superintendent Ron Duerring said. The school board could still change the budget, based upon what the West Virginia Legislature and governor approve for the 2016-17 state budget.
The board will vote on the school system's budget in May.
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This story has been corrected to show that the school board, not legislators, could still change the school system's budget.
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Information from: The Charleston Gazette-Mail, http://wvgazettemail.com.
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