Layoffs a Jolt for Jordan School District

By Amy K. Stewart

WEST JORDAN — Parents, teachers and students are reeling, wondering how they will be affected by Jordan School District's plan to lay off hundreds of educators.

Parents are worried how increased class sizes will affect their children's education.

"It's a horrible thing for the kids. They are already in classrooms that are packed," said Cristina Barnes, who has three children in Jordan District.

The district is looking to save $30 million. Increasing class size by an average of four students will recoup $12.5 million. The average class size in Jordan District is 26 students, according to district officials.

Barnes points out her children don't have learning problems, but some kids need extra help.

"When I'm volunteering in the school, I see a lot of kids who are (struggling) because they are lacking attention at home or at school," she said. "The teachers are just going to have less time and more pressure to get kids ready for testing and moving on to the next grade."

Caden Barnes, 13, a seventh-grader at West Jordan Middle School, said he doesn't like large groups and wouldn't like a crowded classroom, but four more kids in his class probably wouldn't make much of a difference. There are 27 to 32 students in his classes, he said.

However, Brandon Counsell, 13, an eighth-grader at West Jordan Middle School, says adding any more kids to the class will result in "chaos." He said there are about 30 to 35 students in his classes, and he feels he doesn't get enough attention from his teachers at times.

One Jordan District teacher, who has three children in the district and wished to remain anonymous since he fears repercussions from administration, says the increase in class sizes will be a road block for teachers when it comes to integrating technology, offering extra help to students during lunch as well as before and after school, and simply doing class projects.

"Your craven decision to increase class sizes and to not increase taxes places the entire burden on the shoulders of the teachers and the students and no one else," the teacher said.

Parent Mike Counsell, who has two kids in Jordan District, said he doesn't like the idea of teacher layoffs but wouldn't want to see taxes raised, either. "At what point in time do you take more and more people's money from them?" he said. "At what point in time is it enough?"

"I don't know what the ultimate solution is," he added. "I really don't."

His son, Brandon, has the answer: school fundraisers, such as a bake sale. "But I'm not really good at cooking," he said.

Jordan District officials broke down the $30 million they need.

Last fall, the district used $20 million from its rainy day fund to keep the district going. The district is now looking at a deficit again and has no rainy day fund to fill the hole.

A total of $2.4 million is slated to open and operate the new Herriman high school. However, district officials say the school is needed to alleviate overcrowding at the other high schools.

A total of $800,000 is predicted to offset the increase in district funding for employee insurance. A total of $6 million, or 3 percent, is in cuts predicted to be handed down by the state.

Rep. Steven Mascaro, R-West Jordan, said he doesn't think Jordan District is acting hastily with its budget cut plans.

"I don't think they're putting the cart before the horse," Mascaro said. "I think they're doing good planning."

Lawmakers are expecting state revenue numbers to be in next week. After that, final budget decisions can be made. Mascaro said, "It's difficult to know exactly what the mind of the executive appropriations committee will be when it comes to public education."

In Jordan District, 250 of the slated 500 positions to be eliminated will be teaching positions. However, some of those 250 positions may be eliminated through attrition, such as teachers retiring, moving or simply quitting.

As part of the classroom cutting effort for $12.5 million, high school teachers would lose their prep period and teach an additional class in order to mitigate class-size increases.

Jordan's budget plan also calls for cutting administrative positions by $2.5 million; eliminating, reducing or changing programs by $11 million; cutting classified positions by $3 million; and axing non-classroom teacher positions by $1 million.

So far this school year, the district has cut 220 district-level positions with a savings of $9 million.

In voluntary actions, Superintendent Barry Newbold is taking a 10 percent cut from his $237,000 salary. Board members are taking a 10 percent cut from their $12,000 annual stipend.

Last fall the district implemented a 20 percent tax hike, which is $68 more on the district portion of the property tax bill for a home valued at $100,000.

Jordan officials say the district's deficit is due to the state funding shortfall, the recession and the district's split with the newly formed Canyons School District.

Go to www.jordandistrict.org/board/budget/index.html for more information.