Sep 25, 2008 6:26 pm US/Central
Live Blog: DISD Board Delays Layoff Vote
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
The board of the Dallas Independent School District has delayed a layoff vote
until next Thursday. The board met for hours trying to decide how to deal with the district's $84 million budget shortfall. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is recommending hundreds of job cuts.
CBS 11's Steve Pickett and Jay Gormley are at the meeting, providing running updates.
5:40 pm:
The 150 or so teachers who were demonstrating outside of DISD headquarters have now come inside. The teachers have packed the overflow auditorium to watch the work session on two large TV screens.
The Dallas Fire Marshal is here to make sure the crowd remains manageable.
The crowd is vocal, but civil.
Jay Gormley
5:28 pm: The number of demonstrators has grown from 30 to nearly 150. The angry teachers are wearing red, carrying protest signs and chanting as they circle DISD headquarters. Meanwhile, the financial work session trudges on. After the work session wraps up, the board will go into normal session. It's unknown whether the school board will vote tonight or if it will push the vote back until next week.
Jay Gormley4:33 pm:
Nearly 30 teachers wearing red are now picketing in front of DISD headquarters.
One teacher is holding a sign that reads "Galveston has Ike. Dallas has Mike." The sign is obviously referring to Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa.
Jay Gormley
3:45 pm: Board members are now suggesting that 1000 distrct employees be put on notice that they could be let go by a certain date. The 1000 employees would continue to work until further notice. While they remain with the district, the school board would continue to meet to find other ways to cut the deficit. It is only a suggestion currently being discussed.
Jay Gormley3:43 pm: Hinojosa says the deficit will balloon to $84 million if they don't do something about it right now.
Steve Pickett3:34 pm: Hinojosa's current proposal:
675 teaching positions eliminated
120 non-teaching jobs eliminated
300 non-contracted employees eliminated.
That's a total of 1095 people. He says this would add up to
$76 million in savings. But it's just a proposal right now. The board has not approved anything yet.
Steve Pickett3:17 pm: Superintendent Michael Hinojosa says job cuts are absolutely essential to mend the huge defecit. He is proposing to lay off 675 Teachers and another 70 non-teaching positions.
Jay Gormley3:10 p.m.: Hinojosa says he wants to extend employment to designated teachers slated for layoff to December. But we need to only have employees needed for adequate education operation, he says. That means teachers will be dropped.
Steve Pickett3:07 pm:
Hinojosa says country going through difficult times. DISD going through financial difficuties too. It will be painful, but necessary, he says. 5 percent of employees will be affected. 94 percent will be fine, he says, if the district stops the financial bleeding.
Steve Pickett
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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