With more cuts, Dist. 26 holds off on school closure

The Cary Elementary District 26 school board made way for further reductions this week by approving additional layoffs.

The school voted unanimously to approve the reduction in force of 17 positions, which will allow the district to implement its two-tiered list of reductions if concessions asked of the teachers union are not met.

School board President Christopher Spoerl on Tuesday said the district needed to approve the layoffs before a state mandated deadline.

“We did not approve Tier I or Tier II reductions last night,” Spoerl said. “This clears the way if negotiations fail to realize the cost savings that we are asking for. We can implement Tier I and Tier II if we need to do so.”

A reduction in force notice also allows the district to recall teachers should funding become available.

The structure of the cuts relies heavily on the teachers union accepting $2.5 million in concessions for wage and salary benefits.

The board earlier this month approved about $3.2 million in Tier I reductions, which included the concessions and about $700,000 in supply cuts and reinstating services in house.

It also included laying off 5½ full-time teachers.

Although the board approved the $2.5 million in concessions as part of the Tier I reductions, school board members acknowledged the savings could not be realized until an agreement was reached with the Cary Education Association.

If the concessions are not met, Spoerl said, the district would need to implement Tier II cuts, which would close another school and eliminate an additional 8 full-time positions for a savings of $2.1 million.

District leaders are considering the shuttering of Briargate or Prairie Ridge elementary school.

The reductions are part of the district’s efforts to trim $5.5 million from its budget in the next four years.