District Could Lay Off 50 Teachers

January 22, 2010

PORTSMOUTH — Painful, terrifying, devastating and unacceptable.

Those words resonated loudly and clearly throughout the Little Harbour Elementary School cafeteria Thursday night as nearly 30 concerned parents, teachers and residents turned out and begged the School Board to be responsible to students when crafting its fiscal year 2011 budget.

Board Chairman Mitch Shuldman got the ball rolling during the public hearing by outlining the daunting task before the School District and administrators. With marching orders from the City Council to come in 4 percent less than last year’s budget and to also absorb many fixed costs including health care, retirement and contracts, Shuldman said the district faces a nearly $4 million impact.

The result is essentially close to a 13 percent decrease in the overall budget, he said.

Having gone over possible scenarios of what that budget might look like, Shuldman said the school district may be forced to lay off 50 teachers, which would also create an increase in class size. Between 15 and 16 teachers could be cut in the city’s elementary school, nine from the Portsmouth Middle School, 10 teachers from Portsmouth High School and the remaining from special education and elsewhere.

Shuldman acknowledged there will be other scenarios as the budget process unfolds.

"We’ll present a budget that the majority of the board can support and feel is right," Shuld man said.

He asked that all of the board members and taxpayers approach the budget process both civilly and in a reasonable manner.

Following the brief overview of budget constraints and potential scenarios, those who showed up to voice their opinion went before the board one by one and began to plead.

Former School Board member Patrick Ellis was the first to speak, and said he has every intention of going to the City Council throughout the process to tell councilors that what they’re asking of the school district is not acceptable.

The idea of losing teachers and increasing class sizes, coupled with the potential loss of programs such as music or sports, is "unappetizing."

"This is going to have a negative impact on the city," he said.

Ann Wheeler, a mother of two students in the school system, said she is terrified about the potential impact the budget cuts could have on her two children. While fighting back tears, Wheeler said she’s nervous about the increased class sizes as well as the effect this could have on student and teacher morale.

"I have a pit in my stomach," Wheeler said.

Erica Taylor said when she heard what the council was asking of the many departments, she could only think of how devastating the impact would be at every level. She said the district was already forced to "cut the fluff" during last year’s budget process and this year would mean much more.

"If we have poor schools, people won’t want to move into Portsmouth," Taylor said.

Little Harbour Elementary teacher Kelly Hurd said she’s enjoyed working for the school for nearly 10 years and has worked hard to keep her own daughter in the school community. Envisioning how cuts could affect her job and her daughter’s education make her sick, she said.

The only speaker who did not plead with the board about potential cuts was resident Mark Brighton. Saying parents need to face the reality of the economy, Brighton said he would rather see the school budget affected more than the Fire and Police departments.

"Children can learn just as easily in adversity," he said.

Following the many speakers, board member Kent LaPage said in the nine years since the board began entertaining more than one public hearing on the budget, he has never seen as many people show up this early in the process as he did Thursday night.

The next public hearing on the School Board budget will be held Feb. 9 at City Hall.