Three teaching positions to be eliminated

With 74 fewer students in Boundary County School District than one year ago, Superintendent Dr. Don Bartling has proposed eliminating three teaching jobs at the end of the school year.

Bartling also will ask the school board during its March 10 meeting at Boundary County Middle School to cut back on a program that provides accelerated learning for 42 gifted students.

In a related matter, if voters do not agree to renew an $865,000 operations and maintenance levy on March 24, another 2 1/2 teaching jobs will be cut.

“We want to emphasize to the community we are doing this cutting because of tough economic times and rising unemployment in Boundary County,” Bartling said.

One teacher will be eliminated from Bonners Ferry or Riverside High School, another from Boundary County Middle School and one more from one of the district’s four elementary schools. It has not been decided which teachers or what elementary school will lose a teacher, Bartling said.

“There will be a thorough discussion with the principals,” he said. “It will be a very frustrating and trying situation. We have excellent teachers and we regret losing them.”

It’s hoped the teaching positions can be eliminated through retirements. Principals were notified in December about the cuts.

“We’re asking if they have anyone who wants to retire, to let us know early,” Bartling said. “My goal is that no one will be harmed in the process. We have fallen on hard times, declining enrollment and less funding.”

The district employs about 100 teachers for its 1,551 students. Three teaching positions were created when the student enrollment was higher than expected for the start of the 2007-08 year.

Bartling explained that 80 percent of the district’s funding comes from the state. Funding is based on the student population’s average daily attendance.

He speculated that the drop in enrollment could be attributed to families moving elsewhere for jobs.

The equivalent of one full-time teacher oversees the program for gifted students in kindergarten through 12th grade. It’s proposed that position be cut to one-quarter time, Bartling said. The state-mandated program costs about $50,000 a year, yet the school district receives $3,900 in funding to administer it.

Bartling also will suggest doing all-day kindergarten every other day to cut back on transportation costs.