Teachers face uncertainty due to late budget approval

Delays in approving the budget for the 2012-13 school year will mean last-minute decisions on teacher retention in DeKalb County.

School starts Aug. 13, but some teachers haven't yet locked in a job. Many, including those at the Fernbank Science Center where the budget was cut about 40 percent, were told to apply for positions elsewhere as last year's contracts expired.

System spokesman Walter Woods said attrition usually exceeds the roughly 500 spots to be cut this year. Many teachers will face uncertainty until two weeks before school. "We hope to have all positions filled by July 31," Woods said.