Superintendent Of Schools Says More Teacher Lay-Offs May Be Coming

Emery Unified School District's Superintendent raised the specter of another round of possible teacher lay-offs looming next year piled on top of large budget cuts, including lay-offs handed down in 2012.  In a recent interview, Superintendent Debbra Lindo told the Tattler the beleaguered district may have to resort to lay-offs to "allay structural deficit problems."  If the district did indeed resort to another round of lay-offs, it would come on top of teacher cuts already made by the district last summer.

Superintendent Debbra Lindo

In spite of the distressing news, the Superintendent noted she's hopeful about the District's long term economic health even though cuts may be inevitable in the short term, "When a school district is striving to address its structural deficit, there are several options that a [School] Board may consider.  Furlough days, a shortened school year, reductions in teacher hours and/or lay-offs are all options that must be considered.  That being said, because of all the tough work we did last year and the passage of Proposition 30, we're in much better shape than we had anticipated.  We're hopeful there will be minimal impacts to the classrooms" she said.

Superintendent Lindo has been the target of ire from virtually the entire staff of teachers at the school district since she was hired by the Board of Trustees in June 2011.  The teachers released a 'Teachers Resolution' excoriating Ms Lindo last June that was answered by the Board in a letter of full support of the Superintendent.  Since the impasse, Ms Lindo told the Tattler she has been working to restore the trust and respect of the teachers, "We've fixed that.  Things are much better" she said of the teacher's enmity revealed by the Teachers Resolution.

A District official said it would be some months before any teacher furloughs or lay-offs would be imposed and only then not until the public has been apprised and allowed to weigh in.