Falcon holds off on staff cuts
Two members of the Falcon School District 49 board Thursday waylaid a staffing plan temporarily by voting against the measure, which would cut 92 positions, including teachers and assistant principals.
Tammy Harold and Dave Martin voted against the measure, saying that too much erroneous information was circulating and they wanted the community to have all the facts.
Danielle Lindorf and Andy Holloman voted for the plan, saying that employees who might be affected needed as much time as possible to hunt for jobs. The fifth board member, Christopher Wright, was absent.
Martin indicated that he would vote in favor of the measure the next time if it is not changed. “There has been a breakdown in communication,” he said.
The board indicated that there will be no going back to the drawing board because the administration has spent weeks agonizing over the cuts.
The board voted unanimously to hold two community informational meetings, dates to be determined, and plans to vote on the staff plan again March 24.
The community meetings will be held March 18 and March 23. Locations and times are not yet set.
During open forum, several teachers and parents asked the board to save numerous positions including literacy coaches and assistant principals.
Jackie Vialpando, a parent, called for more transparency in the process. “The budget cuts are heartbreaking, but the rumors are hurting the community because people don’t know what the changes are.”
The district hopes that attrition and retirements will make layoffs unnecessary. Lindorf has noted that last year the district hired 140 teachers because of regular turnover.
The district must slash roughly $7.5 million from its $98 million budget for 2010-2011. Other cuts are also needed.
Most Colorado school districts are facing similar cuts because the Legislature is expected to decrease what it gives schools by anywhere from $260 million to $509 million.
Falcon, which is one of the fastest-growing districts in the state, is particularly hard-hit. Just last year, it grew by 5 percent, or about 750 students.
The board has discussed asking voters to approve a bond to remodel one middle school to create more space and build a new school. Lindorf said before the meeting that the district plans a formal phone survey of area voters next week to gather opinions on district performance and bonding issues.
“We hope everyone participates so that we can get a perspective of what the community wants,” she said.
Martin and Harold voted down a measure that would have appointed former board member Mark Shook to the 30-member District Accountability Advisory Committee. But in a surprise move, former board president Anna Bartha, who was named to the DAAC in February, suddenly resigned Thursday. The two were often at odds with each other while on the school board. That board was targeted last year by an unsuccessful recall of two members.
