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Posted on Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 1:18 p.m.

Saline Area Schools recalls 28 employees after sending 68 layoff notices last week

By Kyle Feldscher

After sending layoff notices to 68 employees last week, Saline Area Schools has already called back 28 and expects to call back 22 more, according to a Patch.com report.

The Saline school board approved $1.5 million in concessions from the Saline Education Association at a board meeting last week, also approving sending the 68 layoff notices.

School officials said approximately 18 employees will end up losing their jobs, with the remainder called back for the 2011-12 school year.

Saline Area Schools is looking to fill a budget deficit of about $6 million for the coming school year. The district's total operating budget is about $64 million.

Tom Wall, assistant superintendent for business services at the district, said last week that the deficit has been cut approximately in half.

To read the full report on Patch.com, click here.

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Comments

YpsiLivin

Thu, Jun 2, 2011 : 12:49 p.m.

The article says that 68 employees (not specifically "teachers") were issued layoff notices. It would be nice to have some indication of how many of the anticipated 18 employees who will be out of work are classroom teachers, and how many occupy non-teaching positions.

Carl Sly

Thu, Jun 2, 2011 : 11:58 a.m.

Unfortunately the 1.5 million in concessions still leaves the Saline teachers' union very out of balance compared to typical health care costs in private industry. The automatic, non performance based, raises just add to the problem. The Saline board poorly negotiated the last contract and the teachers' union has not yet accepted the changes that will be required for the Saline voters to agree to pass a millage. The upcoming 2012 negotiations should be very transparent to the voters to illustrate to the community that the board is truly representing current economic conditions. Carl Sly, Saline District Voter

Jonny Spirit

Thu, Jun 2, 2011 : 11:57 a.m.

Saline is use to all that shuffling of teachers; they involuntary transferred 150 teachers out of 300 to different positions just last year. Some were to save jobs but other was just to move them because the boss thought it was good to move people. Yes, it is to bad for the young teachers, they are the ones with the most passion and love for there job. They would work for pennies if they could. It is a sad year for Michigan.

Riley

Thu, Jun 2, 2011 : 3:48 p.m.

Young teacher doesn't mean passionate!!! My children have had plenty of young teachers with little passion and LOVE for their job. Why does everybody assume more experienced teacher's are not passionate about their jobs?

AnnArborite

Thu, Jun 2, 2011 : 1:52 a.m.

I am truly saddened for the teachers who are losing their jobs. For most of them, teaching is much more than a job - it's a passion and love for children. Teachers are special. I married one and I see the drive and motivation she has to see a child grow and learn. The sad part of eliminating 18 teaching positions is shuffling down teachers to positions they've never taught before and thus affecting students with less qualified instructors. Please save the teachers.

Dalex64

Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 11:04 p.m.

Sure. They could offer even more concessions so the district could pay for more teachers with less money. I don't think the union is as powerful as you seem to think.

mojo

Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 6:55 p.m.

Can't the Union do something to get all those teachers back?

j5

Thu, Jun 2, 2011 : 3:10 a.m.

Sure, they could negotiate compensation cuts so that the district could afford to keep all the teachers. Good luck getting members with seniority to vote for that. You could also bust the union up, end economic collusion, and hire qualified educators at market wages. That'd get it done in a heart beat but nobody wants to touch that sacred cow.