Lorain Schools staff voice concerns over budget proposals in private town hall

LORAIN – Lorain Schools staff expressed frustration with district leadership during a lengthy town hall Wednesday evening. The virtual discussion came days after the district laid out its options for budget cuts next school year in the face of an $18 million deficit. Those options include across-the-board cuts to staffing and programming, including potentially limiting preschool to half-day classes, restructuring elementary schools and pooling federal Title funding to pay classroom teachers. The Chronicle-Telegram watched Wednesday's meeting with a staff member after it was denied entrance by district officials. Many of the questions and concerns echoed those voiced when the proposal was laid out Monday, including how the reduction-in-force process would work, why they were not told of the potential layoffs sooner, and what will happen if the upcoming property tax levy fails. With the district yet to submit its plan for state approval, and the levy up to voters, there were few concrete answers. Proposed reductions School leadership and Board of Education members are weighing two options to cut spending next year: Either splitting its elementary buildings into four K-2 and four 3-5 buildings paired by geography, or keeping eight of its 10 neighborhood elementary schools and redrawing the boundaries to accommodate the new enrollment. Under either option, two schools, Washington and Garfield elementaries, could be repurposed. Washington Elementary could become a building for students with autism, allowing the district to serve high-need students it normally transports out of the area. The district proposed that Garfield Elementary house all preschool classes, with those preschool slots only for half-day classes due to the cost of preschool, as the district is only reimbursed the cost for educating students with disabilities. Positions could also be eliminated at the middle and high school, along with cuts to central office roles. To generate revenue, the district is starting a virtual academy to keep students in the district or attract those who have left. Title I funds – federal funds normally used to pay for additional tutoring and supports for students – could be pooled to instead pay for 16 classroom teachers. Reductions in force will be handled in accordance with the language in each of the district's eight union contracts, Superintendent Jeff Graham told attendees. The Lorain Education Association, representing some 515 teachers, social workers and other staff, is one of the largest unions in the district. RIFs for its members are based mostly on seniority, licensure and evaluations. When positions are eliminated, impacted staff are moved into the district's unassigned pool. From there, they are able to "bid" on the remaining jobs, with the teacher with the highest seniority and matching licensure often keeping a job, while newer hires or those with mismatched licensing compared to the open positions receive the official reduction-in-force notice. 'Holding pattern' Graham agreed with attendees that the district needs full-day preschool, but said it is "by far" the most expensive program in the district – costing about $2 million each year out-of-pocket. Another attendee expressed concerns about increased class sizes and what it would mean for behavioral needs and issues in the classroom, which have been an ongoing problem. Graham said the district would need another plan to address those needs. He recognized staff's concerns that eliminating programs like preschool, changing buildings or increasing class sizes could impact enrollment and attendance. Asked what supplemental contracts would be cut, Graham hoped to have more information soon, and provided a similar response to the number of paraprofessional roles being eliminated and if school counselors would be retained. Attendees were critical of cuts to the classroom rather than starting with central office staff or the elimination of assistant superintendent roles. They also questioned why a communication position was filled in December, well after the district knew it had unexpectedly lost state, local and federal funds. Lorain Schools hired Moriah Ballard, whose father and brother are currently on the school board and mother works in the district, as director of communications and community relations. The associate director role, held for years by Lisa Roberson, was eliminated. "The goal was to go to three people in that department all along," he said on Thursday. On Thursday, Graham said Roberson did not apply for the director role. Ballard was chosen from a pool of applicants prior to Mark Ballard II being on the board. Graham said she was the top applicant in every round of interviews, in which he was a part of the final round and recommended her to the Board. Mark Ballard (senior) abstained from the vote. One attendee pushed back on the lack of information or numbers of cut positions able to be shared on Wednesday. Graham said the district shared the costs of things with the board in its presentation Monday, and hoped to have more information next week. "I don't feel comfortable making statements that 'this is what we're going to do,' because it is up to the board," Graham said. Another person questioned why staff were not involved in the process. Graham said the process the district has to follow is restrictive, but district leaders met with union presidents and others. He said the district did not try to make decisions behind closed doors; rather, it only came up with the cost of programs and ways to save $18 million. On Thursday, he said the district kept no secrets about the state of its finances, noting it has been open about the need to cut $18 million for months, and that the vast majority of its budget is salaries. The district plans to put out a survey to staff and families to determine priorities for its budget moving forward, including what may be saved if the levy passes in May. If voters approved the 11-mill measure, which would bring in about $10.7 million each year, it will lessen the cuts needed for next year, Graham said. But if voters do not approve the measure, another $4 million to $8 million in cuts are anticipated. Lorain Education President Julie Garcia said it is hard for her members to be in a "holding pattern" with no definitive decisions yet. "They can't answer questions about who is going to lose their job, what buildings will be repurposed or closed, who's going to be moved … It's very frustrating – not just for my union members, but for everybody. Most of us feel like we're not getting any authentic answers." The Board of Education will vote on a plan Feb. 23. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.