Some 34 Calvert County teachers and support staff became officially unemployed Thursday as of the end of this school year, and that number will go higher before the budget process for next school year is complete. Even so, it could have been worse.
“We are about $6 million short,” Superintendent of Schools Jack Smith told the board during the work session. “Eight to ten positions still need to be cut.”
The budget-balancing goal was 60 positions, but the system has received 20 notifications of retirement. Just reaching 60 positions isn’t quite enough “because there is also the question of staff imbalances. You may have four English teachers but need five, but have five math teachers and need only four,” said Smith. “We will have to hire back people to fill those imbalances once we start the new year.”
Some of the 34 are contract employees who are not renewed, while others are non-tenured teachers who are not renewed. Still others are teachers the system wants to keep but are “reduction in force” victims.
In addition to the 8-10 positions still to be cut, a wild card is the ongoing negotiations with the Calvert Education Association. Depending on the final agreement, more cuts could follow. According to Smith, “If we had agreed to the original CEA proposal, it would have meant cutting 60 additional positions.”
He continued, “We had hoped to have this done by May 1. We must complete the negotiations because we have to adopt a budget by May 12.”
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