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Superintendent outlines position reductions but says there will be no layoffs
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Summary
Superintendent Chandler told the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District board the district will not fill nine positions this year, shifting some classroom assignments and keeping special-education services, and reiterated that the changes will not result in layoffs.
Superintendent Chandler told the Board of Education the district plans not to fill nine positions as part of the adopted budget, producing modest changes in class sections but no staff layoffs. He said the reductions include one fifth-grade section at AW Becker (producing average fifth-grade class sizes of about 22), one kindergarten section at Peter B. (about 17 students), one first-grade section (about 16 students), and two high-school core positions (one ELA and one social-studies) that will not eliminate electives.
"All required special education services will still be able to be maintained," Chandler said, and he stressed the district’s pledge that the staffing decisions will not cause layoffs. Jean, a district STEAM staff member, said STEAM programming will continue with each elementary student receiving a weekly STEAM special, though the push-in support that STEAM teachers formerly offered in classrooms will be reduced.
Board members pressed for clearer public notification of cuts before votes. One member asked that, going forward, the board and the public receive specific descriptions of any proposed reductions before the night of a vote so the community can understand the implications. A board member said, "I think it's important that in a meeting before this, we understand what those cuts are and the implications of those cuts." Chandler acknowledged the request and repeated the district’s commitment to no layoffs.
The board also recognized tenure appointments and thanked staff and administrators for putting the budget together. The Chair congratulated the approximately 15 teachers and two teaching assistants who received tenure this year, specifically naming Rick Messier and Kyle Fain as honorees during the meeting.
Next steps: the board will proceed with the budget schedule that includes a district budget hearing and a public vote; Chandler and staff will continue to provide details on position changes and their classroom impacts ahead of the vote period.
