The Southfield Board of Education announced that it will be laying off 150 employees, including eight administrators.
At least 12 of those employees are from Southfield High School.
The jobs at risk are those of classroom teachers, counselors, social workers, special education instructors, classroom aids, secretaries, assistant principals and curriculum staff., said Deputy Superintendent Ken Siver.
The main reason for the layoffs is the loss of revenue caused by a drop in district enrollment, Siver said. Enrollment in 2002-03 was 10,280; this year enrollment was down to 8,854.
Next year the district is projected to lose 367 students, which will amount to a loss of $4.2 million, Siver said.
Enrollment in Southfield Public Schools is projected to continue to decrease in the upcoming years. By 2013, the district projects that enrollment will be at an all-time low of 7,413 students, Siver said.
The district is also losing additional money unrelated to enrollment, Siver said. Approximately $750,000 will be lost for special education, and another $80,000 hold harmless funding will also be lost, Siver said.
The school this year had a deficit of $6 million. Next year the deficit is expected to rise to $14 million, Siver said.
The good news, Siver said, is that the district hopes to be able to recall 35-40 staff members if enrollment increases. Contractually, teachers must be informed of their layoffs by an April deadline. The Board of Education is laying off more staff than may be necessary because it is better to recall an employee than to lay off an employee past the deadline, Siver said.
At press time, the Board of Education was still uncertain about the amount of revenue it would have for the 2009-10 school year. The amount depends on property tax appeals, enrollment, money given per student and cost increases related to retirement, benefits and utilities.
Most of the teachers being laid off are the newer teachers to the district. This is because they have the lowest seniority, which means they have not been working in the district as long as others.
Sophomore Tia Lee said, “I don’t think teachers should get laid off based on their seniority. Some of the best teachers are new, while some of the older teachers have lost their connection with students. Teachers should be laid off based on their effectiveness in teaching.”
Teacher layoffs
The staff members from Southfield High who have been pink-slipped include the following:
• Gym teacher Harold Berry
• English teacher Denita Daniels
• Social studies teacher Rhonda Ellis
• Social studies teacher Jamie Glinz
• Science teacher Ryan Scott
• Technology teacher John Shirkey
• Social studies teacher Walter Sledge
• Music instructor Darrell Taylor
• Communications teacher Jason Topp
• Business teacher Gregory Voss
• Psychologist Geneveve Walton
• English teacher Erica Woodard