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Lennox staff say district will release temporary teachers as enrollment declines; union and teachers urge alternatives
Summary
District leaders announced planned releases of temporary teachers because of declining enrollment and staff ratios. Teachers and union representatives used public comment to describe the strain of temporary employment and urged the board to seek options that preserve staff and continuity for students.
District leaders told the Lennox Board of Education the district will release a number of temporary teachers because of declining enrollment and staffing ratio requirements.
A district staff member providing monthly staffing updates told the board: "Due to declining enrollment and our staffing ratios, we will be releasing a number of our temporary teachers this year." The staff member called the decision difficult and thanked affected temporary teachers for their service.
During public comment, a classroom teacher and representative of the Lennox Teachers Association (LTA) urged the board to consider the human impact of releasing temporary staff. A teacher who identified herself as a classroom teacher and program participant said she was "super duper disappointed that we are losing some fantastic teachers" and described classrooms that had spent large portions of the year with substitute teachers when vacancies occurred. The commenter said such turnover pushes talented educators to seek more stable employment elsewhere.
The teacher and union remarks included requests that the district explore options—such as reassignment or creating temporary placeholders—to keep effective educators serving students. LTA remarks also noted the union passed a resolution supporting renewal of a statewide school tax measure that funds education (the commenter referenced a state revenue measure expiring in 2030) and called for collaboration on solutions.
District staff also said the business office would continue to monitor enrollment over the summer and respond to any changes in staffing needs as they arise.
Ending: The board did not take a public action on individual temporary employees at the meeting; staff said the releases will proceed in accordance with district personnel timelines and that the district will monitor enrollment and staffing needs over the summer.
