School Department
Cutting Teachers
By Josh Resnek
Wynn Resorts delivered on time a $12.5 million payment to the city as school department
administrators were struggling with layoffs because the city says there is not enough money in the city’s treasury account to sustain current teacher staffing.
The receipt of the funds was met with a great deal of fanfare at city hall Monday night preceding the city council meeting.
Superintendent of Schools Fred Foresteire and Assistant Superintedent Charlie Obremski are deciding who is going to be laid off. They are meeting almost daily with the school department’s central administration to determine where the cuts are.
Notifications were made in April to approximately 320 teachers and staff.
Now it is a matter of who will be kept and what classrooms will close.
“It is a disappointment for everyone. From our side it just
means less services for the kids,” Foresteire said.
“These layoffs appear to be final. There will be no further help from the city council and the mayor,” he added.
A total of 100 teachers and staff are being laid off.