Mishawaka schools may slash 54 jobs

MISHAWAKA — The current budget crisis could cost School City of Mishawaka a staggering 54.5 jobs. Administrators are asking school board members to cut 38 teachers’ jobs, five administrative jobs and 11 other jobs in order to balance the budget. Board members will make a decision at their March 23 meeting. Superintendent R. Steven Mills said the cuts will save the district more than $1.8 million over 2010 and 2011. He said the district is short $4.7 million for that period and the cuts will leave them with a small fund balance. “Without a lot of people’s participation it would be a lot uglier,” Mills said. Bruce Shannon, president of the Mishawaka Education Association, said teachers agreed not to take the $200 one-time stipend they were scheduled to get this summer. They also won’t require that the district contribute a half of a percent of their salaries to a medical fund as required by an earlier contract. “The teachers aren’t surprised,” Shannon said. He said between cuts from the state and the current business climate they were not surprised “to find ourselves in the same position as other businesses.” Larry Stillson, president of the school board, said somebody suggested that everybody help out by donating $500. So he gave Mills a check for his $500 and wrote “save a job” on the memo line. He challenged the person who suggested the donations to match it and asked that other people who offered to help with fundraising also make contributions. Mills said administrators have recommended that 12 teaching positions be eliminated from Mishawaka High School, eight from the middle school, 16.5 from elementary schools and two from the Children’s Campus, a residential facility for children with troubled histories. Board members also are being asked to cut five of the district’s 30 administrators and 11 support staff people. The support staff includes secretaries, aides and other employees who aren’t teachers. Gregg Hixenbaugh, director of human resources and relations, said administrators will be able to return to teaching jobs, bumping teachers. The MEA and the district have reached an agreement to encourage teachers to retire early or take a year’s leave so fewer teachers will need to be laid off. He said as of Tuesday two people have said they will retire and four or six have said they will take leaves. Teachers are laid off by seniority, meaning the newest teachers will be the ones to lose their jobs. Mills said the cuts represent 17 percent of the administrators, 13 percent of the secondary teachers, 12 percent of the elementary teachers and nine percent of the support staff. He said board members also are being asked to consider eliminating summer school for elementary and middle school students, no longer participating in Byrkit alternative school, asking the Mishawaka parks department to fund all elementary school athletics and opening the administrative offices only four days a week during the summer. “People talk about eliminating a program but a program is teachers,” Mills said. Staff writer Sue Lowe: slowe@sbtinfo.com (574) 247-7758