Education
GV School Layoffs Fail For Lack Of Motion
April 12, 2011 
The GUARDIAN posting about impending layoffs at the sprawling, but sparsely populated Garden Valley School District north of Boise drew attention of media and school patron who attended the Monday school board meeting.
The board delayed the proposed layoffs of teachers and other staff. Our insider reports a standing room only crowd of orderly citizens attended the meeting. Several spoke against the layoffs and there appeared to be little or no support. When it came time to consider the layoffs, none of the board members would offer a motion. So for now at least it has died for lack of consideration.
The district is financially pinched due to reductions in state aid and failure of a levy over ride election in March. Several patrons who voted against the levy have told the GUARDIAN they would vote in favor of an over ride if it were properly justified to them.
We have obtained the official current personnel breakdown of the district and will also update this post as more info becomes available.
CURRENT STAFFING:
- 19 teachers
- 7 paraprofessionals / aides
- 3 clerical
- 3 kitchen staff
- 6 maintenance and custodial
- 1 business manager / HR officer
- 1 school principal
- .5 tech director
- .8 superintendent
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Apr 12, 2011, 1:58 pm
Sad that the board didn’t have the guts to speak up and tell the community to let them do their work and set the budget. They didn’t just all of the sudden find some magical pot of gold that they can make this work with…so what they did was lead staff along, thinking there may be some chance of NOT getting laid off, when clearly, because of the levy not passing, it will happen. Delaying the inevitable is what I call it.
Apr 12, 2011, 3:02 pm
The math says they have a student ratio of 5.6 students to each person on the payroll. And 8.8 students to each classroom teacher/aide.
Back when I was in school the smartest kids in the class were the “aides” to the teacher. In one class, a combined 4th/5th grade we had over 60 students in that class. It was a private school and we all made it through those two grades.
105 School districts in Idaho is just inherently wasteful and everyone knows it. Next year we can only hope the Legislature deals with this issue. Seed Corn destruction and other metaphors for perceived underfunding of education are wearing thin.
Pay teachers what they are worth, get rid of the admin. bloat, and use more internet based education tools. The “Outback” of Australia might be a good model to copy for rural kids.
I frankly am tired of funding public college courses and degrees that don’t preapre students for a job. We need more math and science educated people and fewer bankers and wall street robber-barrons. A degree in any number of courses do nothing but churn out people with degrees, no skills and huge college debts that will follow these kids to their graves.
Apr 12, 2011, 3:38 pm
Your argument isn’t sound as even the super admitted that all 18 would not “remain” laid off or termed. He said he favored this method as humane and not showing favoritism. As if the favoritism wouldn’t be shown when he gave the board his pick for rehire.
EVERYONE knows there will be cuts but not 18. This way – by not getting rid of entire classifications of people – the board can look at everyone equally. You’ll notice the business manager was not on the term list though she is at at-will employ like many others.
The board DID have guts to not be manipulated by this administration. They also had the guts to NOT offer the principal another contract thereby giving themselves opportunity to be fair and equal when the cuts DO come.
Apr 13, 2011, 6:31 am
Cool, now what?
Apr 13, 2011, 2:46 pm
To Zippo :
Cody Fisher and Cheryl Riedinger lurking in the wings.