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Schools

Maine District 207 Votes To Lay Off 24 Teachers

It will mail Reduction in Force notices; however, some may hang on to jobs.

Concerned teachers looked on tensely as the Board of Education for Maine Township School District  207 voted Monday to mail letters that could take away their jobs.

As it has done in previous years, District 207 will deliver Reduction In Force (RIF) letters to both tenured and nontenured teachers.

A total 24 RIF notices will be sent, but of that number, six are for part-time teaching staff and three are for for psychology interns completing temporary stints in the district. In all, about 18 full-time equivalents may be reduced for the next school year, said Dave Beery, the district's director of communications.

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In past years, the district has averaged about 30 RIF notices annually because of budgetary concerns and fluctuating enrollment. Last year, there were 75 actual teaching jobs cut, plus 62 non-teaching staff, for a total of 137 positions eliminated.

"Last year was such an aberration because the district was in the middle of a large, unexpected budget deficit-- around $19 million, had no action been taken," Beery said. "This year, there's no budgetary goal attached. It's strictly a matter of trying to determine what staffing needs will be."

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Barb Rieger, who teaches oral communications at Maine South, received an informal notice last week. 

"I was quite surprised when I received a RIF letter on Thursday saying my services would no longer be required and that my position was being eliminated due to budget cuts and lower enrollment," said Rieger, who has been an educator for 24 years, spending nine of those as a tenured teacher in district 207.

"I love my job. I have good relationships with my students and their parents. I hope with all my heart that I can stay in District 207 and do what I love so much." 

Not all of those who received letters will lose their jobs, however. Registration for classes closes March 15, and the board hopes to know what recalls it can make by mid-April.

"We fully expect that a fair amount of these people will be called back once we have course counts in," said Supt. Ken Wallace, addressing concerned teachers in the room.

Few were mollified by the reassurance.

"I was most disappointed in your vote this evening," said Emma Visee, president of the Maine Teachers Association. "It seemed like your conversation related to this most important issue was very short." 

Visee admonished the board to consider the fact that real people are on the other end of their actions.

"You see the best end product but you don't see the process," she said, pointing to members' attendance of concerts and plays. "It's easy to do things by the numbers when you're removed—I haven't seen board members in the classroom for a very long time."

Greg Dietz, assistant superintendent of general administration, said the decision was financially necessary.

"We simply cannot have teachers where there are no students to teach or very few students to teach," he said. "We have to protect the board's interests at this point. We have to be as fiscally responsible as possible."

The board also approved a technology plan for the next three years that will put the department over budget by more than $107,000 in the first year.

"It allows us to stack things and buy things in a way that is much more efficient so we can get more bang for our buck," said Hank Thiele, chief technology officer.

Board member Margaret McGrath supported the plan, saying it was necessary for the district to be able to upgrade its wireless network. In a second scenario, the technology department would have remained in budget but been unable to improve its equipment immediately. 

"It can't be done piece-meal," McGrath said. "It's an all-or-nothing-upgrade."

In other news, the district's high schools presented "207's BEST" awards to three students, lauding their accomplishments in performing arts.

Maine South:

  • Senior Lydia Ramsey
  • "There's a lot of academic stuff here; she's very well-rounded," said Principal Shawn Messmer, referencing a slew of advanced-placement courses and Ramsey's involvement in the National Honor Society, acting, the school newspaper and her role as a violist in the orchestra. 

Maine East:

  • Senior Faith Keady
  • "She's a seriously scary musical talent," said Principal Michael Pressler, praising Keady for her "achievements, accomplishments and leadership she exhibits every day. She's a real ambassador for our school." 

Maine West:

  • Senior Tyra Kopf
  • "Wherever you look on stage, there's Tyra," said Principal Audrey Haugan, calling Kopf a "crazy quadruple threat" for her accomplishments in art, choreography, acting and singing.
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