Cary Dist. 26 dismisses support staff

Declining enrollment and the upcoming closure of another school in Cary Elementary District 26 forced the school board this week to dismiss almost a dozen support staff members.

District leaders say the dismissals are the final personnel cuts under the district’s two-tiered reduction plan to save the district at least $2.1 million in the next school year.

The latest cuts affect 11 educational support personnel employees such as administrative assistants, office assistants, lunchroom supervisors and paraprofessionals.

Superintendent Brian Coleman said the cuts were related to the second level of reductions, which include closing Prairie Hill Middle School.

Closing Prairie Hill will save the district $1.4 million in the next school year.

“These positions are no longer needed,” said Coleman, who added the cuts would save the district about $83,000.

In March, the board approved $3.2 million in Tier I reductions. However, that included $2.5 million in wage and benefit concessions from the teachers union. The Cary Education Association, the teachers union, and the board have failed to reach an agreement on the concessions. The district implemented Tier II reductions in early May.

That level included closing a school and eliminating the equivalent of 28½ full-time positions.

Board member Scott Coffey said the district could reopen Prairie Hill if concessions are met before July 1.

“That is the deadline we are looking at from the standpoint that it will be difficult to reopen a school,” Coffey said. “We would have packed everyone up and moved them. It becomes a matter of timing at some point.”