The Wallingford-Swarthmore school board unanimously OK’d a plan Feb. 24 to cut 20 positions as it addresses unsustainable spending, writes Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The reorganization plan takes effect July 1 and saves about $2 million, said Superintendent Russell Johnston.
Five administrative positions will be eliminated, along with instructional assistant positions at the middle and high schools, a high school special education teacher, a high school secretary, and a high school part-time guidance counselor.
The net effect will result in three to four layoffs since some positions are currently unfilled.
Seven long-term substitutes will also be cut.
“This is not about solving a problem in this year’s budget,” but ensuring the district can sustain its programs in the future, Johnston said Tuesday.
District business manager DeJuana Mosley has said the district has a spending problem, with “considerable increases” in staffing since 2021, despite no increase in enrollment.
The district’s budget grew by 18 percent, from $89 million to $105 million, at a time when its tax base is in decline.
Without cuts, even if taxes were raised by 3.5 percent to the maximum amount allowed, the district would still be short $2.6 million, Mosley said.
Read more about the specific positions being cut and other cost-saving efforts in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
