Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman has proposed to eliminate more than 1,500 positions from the district next year.

Those cuts, along with others, would save CMS just over $100 million.

Gorman outlined the proposed cuts at a midday meeting of the school board.

Among the proposed cuts:

• Eliminating 1,516 job positions districtwide. (Because some positions in CMS are unfilled, eliminating a position does not guarantee a layoff.)
• Eliminating more than half the number of Bright Beginnings pre-kindergarten classes. (BB serves 4-year-olds who show deficiencies in the skills they need to start kindergarten, regardless of family income.)
• Eliminating teacher assistants in first and second grades.
• Increasing class sizes by two students in grades four through 12.
• Eliminating some bus service that could affect the start time for some schools.

Gorman said the cuts were necessary to address anticipated declines in state and local funding – the two primary sources of operating income for CMS.

“None of us wants to make these cuts,” he told the board. “But we have to. So we’ve approached this challenge by asking ourselves: What will do the least harm? We can’t have larger classes, fewer teachers, fewer electives and less pre-kindergarten preparation without affecting student achievement.”

Since the 2007-2008 budget year, the district has cut or redirected more than $185 million because of tighter budgets. The district’s operating budget for the current school year is $1.1 billion.

State lawmakers have warned all departments and agencies, including education, to plan for a budget cuts ranging from 5 to 15 percent. For CMS, a 5 percent cut in state funding would equal $52 million; 10 percent is $93 million and 15 percent is $125 million.

In addition to less state and local funding, money from the federal stimulus bill, which has sent nearly $38 billion to the various states, is ending.

Gorman said some of his recommendations would require early school board action. Among those:

• Reduce the weighted formula that assigns more teachers to high-poverty schools. The formula would change from 1.3 to 1.25, meaning fewer teachers.
• Change bell schedules at some schools so that the district can use its buses more effectively.
• Reduce the number of Bright Beginnings classes to 70 from 175.

Gorman said he also is considering a proposal to eliminate all transportation for students at magnet schools.

The Board is expected to vote on the proposals at its Jan. 25 meeting.

Got news to share with Qcity readers? Email us at editor@qcitymetro.com.
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter below

Sign up for our Weekly Email Newsletter Email: For Email Marketing you can trust

Other Ways to Share Twitter Del.icio.us MySpace

Discussions and Submission Agreement