BOE Axes Teachers, Staff

Nearly three dozen staff members lost their jobs last night, after the school board voted 8-1 to approve staff cuts recommended by Superintendent of School Jose Negron.

The lone dissenter, Debbie Boyle, begged her fellow board members to wait until next week and hear the recommendations of the Borough Council before making the cuts, but they moved ahead anyhow.

Voters soundly defeated the budget in April, which means it is now in the hands of the Borough Council. While Negron said last night that the council has the option of leaving the budget alone and not making any cuts, most members of the public acknowledged how that prospect is nearly nonexistent. 

The twelve teacher cuts and remaining cuts were originally announced in March when the school board adopted its budget:

• Director of Building and Grounds
• School Resource Officer
• 4 full-time secretaries
• 10 teacher aides
• a computer technician
• a guidance counselor
• a student assistance counselor
• a nurse
• 4 high school teachers
• 2 middle school teachers
• 6 elementary teachers
• a school psychologist

Negron also recommended eliminating the district's technology director and adult-education director, cuts that were not on the table previously.

During the meeting, Boyle, who chairs the board's negotiating committee, reiterated her call for a wage freeze.  She asked each bargaining unit, as well as contractors and members of the administration, to freeze their salaries for one year, which she said would result in a significant cost savings.  To date she's received no response.