Teaching positions, athletic directors, deans, and middle school sports could be cut
The Evergreen School District is already facing cuts for the next academic year due to a decrease in enrollment, but it will be facing considerably deeper cuts if the replacement levy fails later this month.
John Boyd, the superintendent for Evergreen Public Schools, sent out an email last week to district employees noting the cuts that will be recommended to the school board.
It includes the elimination of more than 130 positions, including 25 teachers, the four deans and the four athletic directors at the high schools. Middle school athletics is on the chopping block, as well. The graphic in the email also notes the potential cutting of classroom paraeducator support, field trips, and more.
“My sincere hope is that the replacement levy will pass on April 26th and we will move forward with a budget that reflects our need to adjust to our enrollment decline and not one that reflects the impact of a double levy failure,” Boyd wrote to employees.
The first attempt at passing a levy failed in February. This second attempt is the final chance to pass the levy prior to finalizing the budget for the 2022-23 academic year.
Information provided on the Evergreen Public Schools website points out, the replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy is not a new tax. The district is asking voters to say yes to a replacement levy that will cost $1.70 for every $1,000 of assessed value, the same rate as the current levy.
This is a lower rate than what was proposed in the February election, according to the district. In the February election, the rate started at $1.90.
Many school districts have seen enrollment numbers decrease since the beginning of the pandemic. Regardless of the results of this levy, Evergreen Public Schools is already looking at the elimination of 110 classroom teachers, as well as more than 90 other support positions.
Ballots for the replacement levy have already been mailed to voters. The deadline to vote is April 26.
This is a threat to the voters and is likely vary different from what would actually be cut when the levy fails but I’m all for the administrative cuts. Why does it cost $17.5k per student for an inferior education experience when private schools can do it for $10k?
Job Cuts should start with the bloated ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS that have plagued almost all PUBLIC SECTOR and especially SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
For the voters in Evergreen and surrounding districts – if you district has created more administrative positions recently (anything with the job title of “Executive Director of…”), you should vote against the levy. As seen in Vancouver and other districts, they are all concerned about DEI intiatives instead of improving education for the children in the area. You don’t improve it by “dumbing down” Johnny or Suzie, you provide curriculum and materials that they can undersant without all of the CRT/DEI language.
Also, remember the teacher strikes in 2018 and the increases in pay that they received… has that been money “well spent”, especially after some of the games played by the teachers during the pandemic?