County school district to lay off 22; 9 are teachers
Last Updated on 3/19/2010
Published on 5/14/2009
By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com
It's official.
The number of workers who will be laid off within the Georgetown County School District is 22.
That's a long way from the 100 that was considered a possibility when budget talks got underway earlier this year but still more than district officials want.
The Times reported last week the district was looking to cut between 15 and 25 jobs.
Nine of the layoffs are teachers. The rest are other district workers.
The decision was made at a special meeting Tuesday at which contracts for the 2009-10 school year were approved by the school board.
Superintendent Dr. Randy Dozier said there would have likely been more job losses if it were not for the millions of dollars in stimulus funds the district received.
That money has to be used for either special education or Title One schools but it did help save some jobs.
There are still 24 vacancies that must be filled before school resumes in August. Dozier said none of the workers being laid off qualified for any of those jobs.
There is still work to be done to help erase a nearly $3 million budget shortfall the district is facing.
The district has about $10 million in reserves and is considering using about $1.5 million from that account.
Furloughs are also still a strong possibility.
A 4.2 mil tax increase on non-owner occupied homes is also an option still on the school board's table.
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You think this has rattled some chain...wait til the stimulus money runs out. Prepare yourself. Posted by on 5/18/2009 |
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I would like to know how Dozier can say that the laid off teachers do not qualify for the other positions when there are many others that are still employed that do not have the qualifications for the jobs that they are in. There are no double standards here?!? There must be family members that need those jobs. That seems to be the trend! It is all about who you know, not qualifications you have. Instead of laying off teachers how about getting rid of the dead weight at district office. Get rid of one administrator at district office and their salary will pay for 2 or 3 teachers. Posted by on 5/17/2009 |
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While I could name more than 9 teachers GCSD should be glad to get rid of, I think the district could have made more effective cuts by removing the useless figureheads in the administration. Posted by Blah on 5/17/2009 |
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Teacher can't do it alone. But our beloved Governor is acting crazy because we don't need to worry about how much we are in the hole. South Carolina has always been in the hole and always will. We need to take the money and help our kids for one get the education that they deserve and two we don't need any more lay off around our state we already have enough of that now. The Governor needs to open his eye for once and help the people of our state instead of make him look good because he got us out of dedt.We need more teacher to help our kids learn just as much as they can becuse they are the future of this world and this state. Teacher don't have the respect they deserve but my hat goes off to everyone of them and I like to say thank you for helping our children become better people. Posted by A MAN WHO CARES on 5/17/2009 |
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I agree teachers can't do it alone. There are parents out there who don't participate in their child's education. It needs to improve dramatically. However, there are teachers who come to school and simply could care less whether all students get instructed or not. It goes both ways. Adding to the misery, our governor's stance on stimulus education funding send a message to teachers in need of it that they are alone and not cared for or respected. Posted by Jamie Sanderson on 5/17/2009 |
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No, we have programs in place that will pay for a woman to get her GED - her breakfast and lunch are paid. Not to mention she has free child care (for the out of wedlock children) while she is getting her degree. All paid by taxpayers. I have yet to see any of these women working anywhere. As a matter of fact one of the recent grads had a nice write up in the paper - she is too lazy to even come in and be a substitute teacher. Posted by on 5/16/2009 |
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Funds had been increased by the Bush administration. Have they now decreased? Are school officials taking advantage of the money provided? There is not a parent in America that cannot get out of bed early enough to prepare breakfast for their children. The money spent on this could go toward educating the students. Our students rank consistently below most other countries, yet we have the most resources. This proves that the problem is not all the lack of money. And I’m not against the funding – I’m just against the failures of our public schools regardless of the money directed to schools. Students must have the desire to learn. They can’t sit back on their haunches with the 'if I don't make it the government will take care of me’ attitude and succeed. And pregnant students should be sent to adult schools and not be allowed to roam among those with morals. Decent morals are essential to self-esteem; self-esteem is essential to success. Parents must instill pride and a desire to learn into their children’s lives. Teachers can’t do it alone. . Posted by on 5/16/2009 |
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WE CAN BUILD A 6 MILLION DOLLAR BOAT RAMP BUT BY BUILD THIS RAMP WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR TEACHER TO TEACH OUR KIDS THEIR ABC 123. SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. I FEEL THAT GEORGETOWN NEEDS TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I DON'T CARE IF WE HAVE A MILLION DOLLAR BOAT RAMP BUT I DO CARE ABOUT OUR CHILDRENS EDUCATION. WE NEED OUR TEACHER TO TEACH OUR KIDS WE REALLY NEED MORE OF THEM WE DON'T NEED TO LET ANY OF THEM GO BECAUSE GEORGETOWN DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR THEM. THIS IS SUPID THAT GEORGETOWN IS DOING THAT. Posted by on 5/16/2009 |
