Another year of declining enrollment and budget constraints for the Duluth school district led to the termination of several staff members at a meeting tonight.
The Duluth School Board approved the layoffs, 23 of which affected nontenured employees who had been teaching in the district for less than three years. Three of the positions were tenured.
"It's always very difficult to do this, because you know you are affecting people's lives," said Rob McLachlan, director of Human Resources for the Duluth school district. "These people have chosen a career and made a commitment to that by getting an education and a job and now, because of our budget cuts, they are being detrimentally affected."
In total, the layoffs account for about 22 positions in Duluth schools, because not all of the laid off employees were full time. Twelve of the reductions were the result of declining enrollment. Most of the rest were the result of teacher licensure issues and the School Board's decision to increase class size to help climb out of a $6 million deficit, according to Tim Sworsky, human resources manager for the district.
The district is hopeful that several of the teachers will be hired back once the district has a clearer sense of all the funding streams, such as grants, that will be available for next year, Sworsky said.
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"We have a lot of good, solid teachers among this group that we would very much like to have back in the district," Sworsky said.
Board members said the layoffs were hard.
"It's just an awful thing," said board member Laura Condon. "It is a very difficult time for us and it is certainly a very difficult time for the people who are impacted."
Board member Mary Cameron agreed.
"It hurts all the time, whenever we have to do this."
