Fulton schools warn of more cuts

Fulton County School Superintendent Cindy Loe is warning staff to brace for deeper budget cuts and the possibility of furloughs and job losses both in the classroom and central office.

“Not only do we have to understand and accept where we are, but we have to be prepared that some that have not been asked yet to take a hit are going to need to do that,” Loe told school board members Tuesday night.

Loe and the school board will be considering specific cuts as they move through the budget process in the next few weeks, said Susan Hale, spokeswoman for the 88,000-student school system.

“We’re not expecting enormous job cuts,” Hale said. “Every effort is being made to keep our staff intact.”

For the current school year, the system has already cut $21 million and has taken $25 million from reserves, or savings. With declining local revenues and cuts in state funding, the administration expects to have to reduce spending for 2010 by $58 million, according to documents provided to the school board.

“It is looking rather dismal for the budget,” said Linda Bryant, president of the school board.

She said the school board is “trying to save our teachers and our staff, all of you.”

But furloughs, Bryant said, may be required. “It’s better than being jobless,” she said.

The school system, which has about 8,000 teachers and administrators, is projected to save $1.5 million in 2009 and $2 million in 2010 by freezing and/or eliminating some central office positions.

Another $10.8 million can be saved in 2010 by increasing the class size by one student in K-8 and by two students in ninth through 12 grades, according to school system estimates.

Late last month, the school system warned about 300 of its part-time employees that they’re not likely to have jobs in the next school year. The system told the part-timers, via e-mails, that, as the system shrinks staff to save money, priority will be given to finding jobs for full-time employees.

“With the raising of class sizes and a decrease in forecasted student growth, there is an anticipated surplus of full-time staff, ” the e-mail stated.

Full-time teachers also were told that there may be some staffing shuffles next year and that they may not maintain their current assignments.