Higley cuts 9 more teachers, 2 nurses

The Higley Unified School District cut nine additional teachers and two nurses Thursday, bringing the total to 48 cuts of teachers and nurses.

Sixteen of the teachers are full-time employees, 28 have short-term contracts and four were a part of the phased retirement program. Four more positions were teacher interns, which means they have intern certificates to teach a class but are also attending school, said Cathey Mayes, Higley’s human resources director.

“There’s a very strong possibility a lot (of the teachers) will be placed back (into various teaching positions),” Mayes said. “We have to be conservative because of the limited number of openings.”    

Nine teachers also received partial contracts and will receive less money in salary because they are not teaching full schedules. These teachers teach music, English, social studies, industrial arts, vocational technology, physical education, drama and Spanish.

The district’s cuts are based on a 10 percent projected state budget cut, amounting to about $4.1 million in Higley’s budget.

Legally, certified employees have to be told by April 15 if their job may not be available next school year.

Legislators are working to address a possible $3.3 billion shortfall in revenues next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Last week, the district cut 83 positions, with the biggest hit coming to support, or classified, staff, including custodians, security and maintenance. Thirteen administrator positions were also cut.

Thursday’s meeting was low-key, compared with last week’s meeting, when dozens of teachers showed up and complained about job cuts. At Thursday night’s meeting, no teachers spoke.

This year, the district has 523 classified employees and 527 certified employees.

About 480 of those certified employees are teachers; the rest are librarians, counselors, school psychologists and speech therapists. There are about 10,000 students in the Higley district.

District officials have reshuffled positions, including moving 18 teachers from closed programs into other jobs. Some teachers received a notice that their job may not be available, but because of alternative certificates they have, they may get another job within the district, Mayes said.

About 50 teacher positions are still open in the district, including many specialized classes such as special education, dance and art.

“It’s like working on a giant jigsaw puzzle,” said interim Superintendent Denise Birdwell. “We’re continuing to refine our staffing.”

According to district policy, the cuts were based first on certification, then experience, contributions to the district, and finally seniority, Mayes said.    

The Higley school board unanimously approved the cuts Thursday. Board president Greg Land prefaced the vote, saying “this is a tough one.”

“We’d like to get all of these teachers back,” Land said.

Mayes added after the meeting that she’s expecting more cuts in special education aides.

The board also approved changing the 2009-10 teachers’ contract language to include possible salary reductions, furloughs and reductions in Proposition 301 money.

The new language helps the governing board stay fiscally responsible if the Arizona Department of Education reduces funding again in the upcoming school year, Birdwell said.