At a board meeting Monday night, district officials announced that 130 employees from around the district, including teachers, would lose their jobs next year in order to save the district $10 million. The move comes after an already increasing amount of budget cuts in the last year.

In addition to the job cuts, the district will also phase out a visiting teacher program for Arabic and Chinese, as well as increase the fees for all-day kindergarten classes. The district’s current deadline for finalizing its budget is May 1st, and those losing their jobs will be notified by that date.

Like many of the school districts in Kansas, the Shawnee Mission School District is facing a serious financial crisis and more challenges on the way. In the past two years, the district has reduced funding by $14.7 million from the state, and in the 2009-2010 school year alone, has reduced the budget by $10.6 million, along with more than 100 positions

According to Leigh Anne Neal, the Director of Communications for the district, in planning for the 2010-2011 budget, the district is facing even greater financial challenges than before, which has prompted superintendent Gene Johnson to develop a list of recommendations for budget reductions.

Among the recommendations is the termination of approximately 128 staff positions. With more than 87 percent of the district’s budget in salaries and benefits for employees, this looks to be a significant cut.

“This plan reduces costs and provides some limited revenue enhancements to meet some of the district’s budgets challenges,” said Neal. “These are very difficult decisions.”

“There is no program or position in the district that we do not see as valuable,” said Neal. “But unfortunately, the reality is that our district is not currently recieving funding to support continuing out operations even at the status quo.”

In total at the high school level, the recommendations plan is to cut 26 full time employees, or the equivalent. East alone is said to lose four full time regular education teachers. East will also lose one special education teacher.

Not only will teachers be let go, but assistant book keeping positions, two assistant athletic coaches and five random supplemental pay positions are proposed for reduction at every high school.

Along with the reduction in staff, East may also have some budget reductions. According to Neal, some reductions at the district level may also impact the schools.

“It is increasingly difficult to reduce to the levels at which our district is being asked to reduce without impacting out schools and classrooms,” said Neal.

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