Here's What's Hot On CBS11TV.COM:
Sep 30, 2008 5:07 pm US/Central
All Eyes On DISD Before Meeting To Discuss Layoffs
DALLAS (CBS 11 News/ AP) ―
The Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency says the state is watching the Dallas Independent School District.
Commissioner Robert Scott visited a DISD school Tuesday. Scott attended a special ceremony for Dallas' Early College High School program. He applauded the creation of the early college prep campus.
He sat with district Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa. Commissioner Scott has been in conversation with Dr. Hinojosa over the district's $84 million budget shortfall.
"I expressed my concern from an agency standpoint, asked him what the plan was," said Commissioner Scott about his conversation with Dr. Hinojosa. "He said he's working with his trustees. They'll meet this week. I said they need to look under every stone they can find and protect the best interest of the kids."
The DISD School Board has yet to approve any budget cutting plan. The TEA is monitoring the progress.
On Monday, the district laid off 63 staffers from the central office and eliminated about another 100 unfilled jobs, school officials said. All the positions were for employees working without contracts, so the layoffs did not require school board approval.
The school board has so far refused to give Superintendent Michael Hinojosa the go-ahead to lay off contract employees, which include teachers. He has recommended the district eliminate 1,209 positions, including 675 teachers.
"As I told the board of trustees last week and the week before, it costs the district approximately $1.5 million each week there is a delay in addressing this deficit," Hinojosa said in a written statement.
"As the district's chief executive officer, it is my duty to take whatever immediate, prudent and financially responsible action I am empowered to take to address this matter and save the district dollars," the statement continued.
D.I.S.D. spokesman Jon Dahlander said the cuts Monday are effective immediately and came from several departments, including technology, business services and dropout prevention. Fired employees will receive one month of severance pay.
The T.E.A. has appointed conservators to oversee management of troubled districts before. But Commissioner Scott says D.I.S.D. still has time to balance this budget without state intervention.
"I think the district has some tough decisions to make," said Commissioner Scott. "I don't want to get in their way and be prescriptive, but we're monitoring the situation."
The school board is scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss Hinojosa's plan. They have said they want more details before letting teachers go.
Officials for the largest teachers associations in Dallas said they planed to protest Thursday's meeting. They also said they believed the district would approve the plan to go ahead with the cuts.
"When you have to let that many teachers go because of budget cuts, then yes it's going to make a great impact upon – not the district just today, but in the years to come," said DISD teacher Beverly Doss.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Hollywood Hair
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
