23 full-time teaching

assistant positions axed
By Scott Nicholson

Watauga County Schools will be operating with about 15 percent fewer personnel this year after the latest round of job cuts.

Reductions in state funding for teaching assistant positions are resulting in the elimination of 23 full-time and two part-time teaching assistant positions and the transfer of an additional eight teaching assistants in the school system. The affected employees have already received a letter of notification from the school system.

“We deeply regret the necessity for these actions,” said Superintendent Marty Hemric. “These are good people and valued employees that we would like to have working with our students. However, we have to operate within the limits of our funding, and it is clear that state funds for teacher assistants will be substantially reduced for the coming school year.”

The latest reductions bring the total number of positions lost by the school system for the 2009-10 school year to 75. Watauga County Schools had about 675 full-time employees in the 2008-09 school year.

Of the 25 teaching assistant positions being lost, 21 are the result of the state budget shortfall and four are the result of the change in kindergarten-age eligibility. Effective for the 2009- 10 school year, kindergarten pupils must be five years old by Aug. 31 instead of Oct. 10.

The earlier cut-off date reduced this year’s kindergarten enrollment and the state reduced funding for kindergarten teachers and teacher assistants accordingly.

For the Watauga County Schools, the total reduction in state funding for teaching assistants is approximately $650,000.

The North Carolina General Assembly plans on cutting 4,663 teacher assistants statewide to reduce education funding by $130 million.

The state based the amount of the reduction on eliminating funding for third-grade teaching assistants, but local systems have flexibility in which teaching assistant positions to cut.

The cuts and transfers of local teaching assistants are being made according to the guidelines of the Watauga County Schools Reduction in Force policy.

The total reduction in state education funding for 2009-2010 may exceed $1 billion.

These cuts will require scaling back nearly every aspect of school operations in districts across the state, including reductions in teaching positions, assistant principals, school counselors, school social workers, central office personnel, media specialists (formerly known as school librarians), school-based office and custodial personnel, and school bus transportation.

The budget would also eliminate all state funding for school capital projects and training of school personnel, and would impose significant reductions in funds for tutoring, textbooks, school supplies, “More at Four” pre-kindergarten classes, and other areas.

The adoption of a state budget will be required before local schools can confirm whether further reductions in personnel may be required or whether some positions that have been eliminated could be restored.

“We will continue to collaboratively use our creativity and resourcefulness to minimize the impact of reduced funding,” Hemric said.

“We will continue to seek resource alternatives to support our greatest commitment as educators — the quality of the educational experience for our students.”