Teachers change future plans

By Diane Huber | The Olympian • Published May 06, 2008

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LACEY – Teachers in North Thurston Public Schools who received layoff notices last week are weighing their options and hoping for the best May 20, when voters will decide whether to approve a two-year, $48.9 million renewal maintenance and operations levy.

If the levy fails, the district will have to make $17.5 million in cuts. That includes 110 out of 850 teachers. About 40 of those teachers are retiring or announced they are not returning to the district; 70 received layoff notices. If the levy passes, the notices will be recalled.

Some teachers have started looking for jobs elsewhere.

"I've been applying to other districts, and more than anything just campaigning for the levy and trying to get the word out," said Grace Bragg, a second-year teacher at Lydia Hawk Elementary School.

The district determines layoffs based on seniority and the teacher's subject area, said Brian Wharton, district assistant superintendent of human resources, at Monday's board of directors meeting. Teachers with seniority and who are qualified are offered jobs in other subjects or grade levels, he said.

If the levy fails, positions would be eliminated in the following categories:

• 58 positions: Specialists who teach elementary art, music, PE, band and orchestra

• 30 positions: Counselors, librarians and special education teachers

• 22 positions: Vocational teachers or middle and high school teachers

At least 130 classified positions also will be eliminated if the levy fails, including 66 paraeducators, 31 office professions and 25 bus drivers and transportation staff members.

Wharton said the layoffs will be hard on the economy as well as the individual employees.

"I'm concerned that one of the largest employers in Thurston County is going to be laying off 255 people," he said.

If the levy passes, the district still will make $3.8 million in cuts, including the 25 transportation jobs.

Terry Shaw, a music teacher at Timberline High School who received a layoff notice, said he's the breadwinner in his family, and he's starting to look at job openings in other districts. He'll wait to apply until after May 20, he said.

"The big picture, the sad picture is these students are going to suffer in a real bad way," he said.

"We can go to the next school district over and get another job."

Diane Huber covers education for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-357-0204 or dhuber@theolympian.com.