>Ridgewood announces school layoffs
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
BY DOLORES ALFIERI
The Ridgewood News
STAFF WRITER
https://www.northjersey.com/news/87116907_Ridgewood_announces_school_layoffs_to_balance_budget.html
The Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) announced that layoffs in the village’s schools will be necessary to manage the 2010/2011 budget.
At its meeting last night, the BOE outlined the reduction in school administration and salaries. A district-wide meeting was called Monday afternoon to inform teachers and administrators of cuts that seem all but inevitable.
According to the current budget outline, approximately $2.1 million, listed under “proposed initial payroll cuts,” in personnel reductions are anticipated, as well as a $1.4 million cut in purchasing costs, which includes textbooks and school supplies.
School administration may see $221,736 in cuts. For grades one through five, an $81,738 reduction in salaries is listed; for grades six through eight, a $282,813 reduction in salaries may be necessary; and for grades nine through twelve, a salary reduction of $224,944 could be on the horizon.
“I just want to say,” said board member Sheila Brogan, “none of these cuts are good cuts.” School faculty spoke during the public comment portion of the BOE meeting, and expressed outrage that they weren’t informed sooner. Michael Yannone, a teacher at Ridgewood High School, wanted to know why actual numbers were not presented to teachers at the meeting earlier in the day.
“This seems really odd that this information wasn’t made available,” he said. “Here’s the information that we wanted at the meeting and couldn’t get.”
Superintendent Daniel Fishbein said the board needed to be informed first of the proposed cuts.
“People should know that there’s a glaring zero for cuts here at the Education Center,” Yannone said, referring to the fact that there are currently no proposed reductions in staff at BOE headquarters.
Email: alfieri@northjersey.com
https://www.northjersey.com/news/87116907_Ridgewood_announces_school_layoffs_to_balance_budget.html
