Schools to send two layoff notices

The La Conner School Board on Monday adopted a resolution to cut the equivalent of 2.7 full-time certificated positions to save a total of $330,000.

At the same time, the district must fill the equivalent of 3.363 full-time teaching positions which have come open due to resignations and retirements. Thus, a teacher whose job is being eliminated at the high school can apply for one of the positions open at the elementary school, said the district’s Business Manager Bonnie Haley.

Certificated positions being cut include the administrative post presently held by Peg Seeling, who will move into her new role as Interim Superintendent in July. Her old job, director of Curriculum, Assessment, AVID and Athletics, will be gone and the work distributed to other staff members, including Seeling.

Teaching positions being eliminated include the one full-time “provisional” teacher at the high school whose contract will not be renewed, a reduction in the high school Culinary Arts Program equal to .318 of a teacher, and drama in the elementary school, for the equivalent of .382 of a full-time teacher.

The drama teacher already resigned, so only the full-time teacher and the culinary arts teacher will receive notices in this go-round. For certificated staff, the district is required to give notice by May 15; that’s why a special meeting was held on Monday.

With three teaching positions at the elementary level, and a part-time drama teacher position for the middle and high schools coming open, existing staff members will be the first ones considered to fill those positions, either voluntarily or by mandatory transfer. If there are still openings left, the district will hire teachers from outside.

At it’s next regular meeting on May 23, the board will decide on reductions in non-teaching positions.

Since late March, a group of about 30 people have been meeting in a series of school budget workshops. Last week at the fifth of the seven workshops, the group prioritized places to prune the school’s budget. A total of about $500,000 in spending reductions are necessary because voters last month approved a property tax levy smaller than the amount the district initially sought.

At Monday’s meeting, Superintendent Tim Bruce told the board and several staff members present that the workshop group’s input was very helpful.

Bruce, who holds a Ph.D. and has been at the helm of the district for 26 years, announced in February that he would resign effective June 30. He has accepted a professorship at Western Washington University.

At Monday’s special meeting, the board anticipated choosing a contractor to conduct a nationwide superintendent search, but instead extended the deadline for search firms to apply until May 18.

As of Monday, there were three applicants, but a fourth contractor board members want to consider missed the April 22 deadline to get its proposal in due to an illness and indicated its packet would arrive this week.