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By Bob Weaver
This years RIF has affected thirteen people, causing the layoff of two
professional
employees and three service workers in the Calhoun school system,
according to
Superintendent Ron Blankenship. Six professional employees will be
transferred, plus two
service workers.
Blankenship says the inability to change the state funding stream
which is connected to
student enrollment is a distressing situation, particularly to low
populated rural counties
that do not have levies.
He and other school officials have recently testified before Judge
Recht in the school
funding case, participated in dialogue with the House and Senate
education committees
and discussed the seriousness of the problem with the State
Superintendent of Schools.
Blankenship is seriously concerned about the decline in local
enrollment, a situation which
is happening in most West Virginia counties with no change in the
formula. How the cuts
will affect programs is "Not certain yet," although they surely will.
(SEE earlier Hur Herald
stories)
The actual layoff list includes Renita Benson, Sherry Butt, Judy
Prusak, Joan Gordon and
Susan Metheney. Gordon and Metheney requested hearings at the last
Board meeting, but
the decision to lay-off held. Board member Burl Simers voted against
their layoff and
Carlene Frederick abstained.
March 5th is the day transfers will be processed by the board,
affecting eight employees.
Blankenship said the process of who gets cut involves administrators
from the central
office and all principals. They met to discuss how best to eliminate
positions and minimize
the impact on the instruction program while affecting the least senior
employees.
Many school officials believe the county unit school administrations
will be consolidated in
the future, along with county governments that cannot financially
maintain their own
entities.
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