The head of Columbus Municipal School District says it”s too early to tell if any teachers will be cut when the April 15 deadline for non-renewal rolls around.
Superintendent Dr. Del Phillips says cutting classroom personnel will be the last resort in an effort to trim $3 million from his district”s budget next year.
Phillips has long anticipated a 10-15 percent cut in state funding but says “We have no idea what impact, at the end of the day, is going to be to our teachers. There may be none that are let go.”
He says the district has undertaken a number of efforts to cut costs before any jobs are questioned, including a travel freeze put into effect over a year ago and computer-controlled air conditioning in all but two district buildings.
Phillips earlier told The Dispatch, in a story reported Thursday, that up to 50 employees, including teachers and support staff, could lose their jobs as the districts works to cover the $3 million shortfall. Some of those losses could be made up through retirements and others leaving voluntarily, he said.
Responding to claims from other local superintendents, including those in Starkville and Lowndes County, that they did not expect to cut teachers, Phillips said some districts may not be in a position to cut teachers legally due to state-mandated teacher-student ratios.
“If the county has 27 kids in every classroom and we have 18, them reducing teachers and us reducing teachers is a different thing,” he said.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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