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Oct 21, 2008 12:15 am US/Central
No Financial Emergency For Lancaster ISD -- Yet
District Asks For Voluntary Salary Cuts
Compiled From Staff Reports
LANCASTER (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
The Lancaster ISD board did not declare a financial emergency Monday night, but district leaders still face a $1 million shortfall, which could mean if not enough teachers take a pay cut, the school board could still declare a financial emergency and announce layoffs in two weeks.
Currently the district is asking teachers, librarians and others who work directly with students to give up half the raises they received this year, which would mean their 5 percent pay raise would be cut to only 2½-percent.
Robbie Johnson teaches at Lancaster High school, and says the decision is an easy one for many of her colleagues she's spoken with: avoid layoffs.
The workers will have until the end of the week to decide whether to accept the reduction in salary. If they don't, the district says school board members will have to consider layoffs.
School leaders say they got into the 'hole' because they have 200 fewer students this year, than they budgeted for. Each year the state gives school districts money based on the number of students who attend.
As it stands Lancaster ISD administrators have already agreed to give up their four percent pay raise.
At least one parent isn't happy with the idea of cutting teacher salaries. "You would think they would be able to budget their money to be able to pay their teachers," said mother Rowena Robison. "They think teachers should be paid more than they are already."
In a controversial move last week, the Lancaster school board voted to put the school superintendent on paid leave. After the action Dr. Larry Lewis' keys and district cell phone were also confiscated.
For now, LISD Assistant Superintendent Eugene Young III is in charge and the state has brought in a conservator to oversee district finances because of the previous financial problems.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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