More Job Cuts Likely in School District

Faced with the loss of as much as $2.9 million a year in state funding, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Board of Education unanimously agreed to support Superintendent Scot Prebles’ plan to reduce costs in the district, including merging and eliminating jobs throughout the district.

After an executive session meeting, Prebles said the board agreed in a 5-0 vote to allow Prebles to seek renegotiation on contracts with both the the Brecksville- Broadview Heights Education Association (BEA) and Brecksville-Broadview Heights Organizational Support Staff  (BOSS).

The board scheduled a special meeting June 6 to address budget issues. 

If carried out as planned, it would represent a reduction of the district’s teachers by 14 percent over a three-year span.

Even without the cuts in state funding, the district was facing budget deficits in fiscal year 2013, according to projections in Prebles’ report to the school board.

Board members and Prebles agreed that arriving at a precise number was difficult because the numbers remain a moving target. Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, Prebles said, “These are numbers on a board, but these are people in our organization.”

Prebles and board members agreed that any deeper cuts in the school staffing will have negative effects that will be felt in the classroom and endanger the district’s high academic ratings.

After hearing the presentation and a round of questions and answers, the board went into executive session to discuss renegotiations with one or both unions that represent employees of the district.

Thursday's meeting was a follow-up on a May 23 meeting, when financial concerns dominated that meeting.