Jun 19, 2008 5:50 pm US/Eastern
School Board Votes To Cut Hundreds Of Jobs
Over 2,000 jobs have been eliminated this year
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
After hours of debate and listening to impassioned pleas from district employees, the Miami Dade School Board approved a new round of job cuts early Thursday morning in an effort to balance the budget for 2008-2009 school year.
The positions that were axed include almost 290 central office employees, 75 physical education teachers, and 28 assistant principals. Also, the district's marketing department will be downsized. School psychologists and exceptional-student education specialists will be shifted from a 12 month year to a 10-month year.
Facing more than a $250-million budget deficit in the upcoming year, Thursday's cuts will save the district more than $44-million and bring the number of job reductions to more than 2,000. More than 950 teaching positions were eliminated earlier this year along with 710 administrative and school-site positions.
Some teachers said the entire layoff process has been about politics and not about the children. "Everybody is playing these political games and and nobody is really thinking about whats going to happen to our education system and to our students," 4th grade teacher Mari Coruguedo said.
During the school board meeting on Thursday, members voted to not cut any jobs pertaining to student transportation. But other cuts might be made during next week's school board meeting.
In accordance with Florida law, the board must have a balanced budget by mid-September but district officials have been pushing for earlier deadlines.
''The fact is, we must present a balanced budget by the end of June, and that will require cuts,' board member Evelyn Greer to the Miami Herald.
In an effort to generate revenue to avoid further cuts, the board also voted to move forward with a plan to allow advertising on school property.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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