Redwood City schools may cut five principals

The five principals standing to lose their post would join 14 teaching positions which would be eliminated and several other support positions placed on the chopping block as well.

District spokesman Jorge Quintana said the proposal to eliminate the administration posts is necessary in the wake of officials agreeing to close campuses due to dwindling enrollment.

“Due to the mergers and moves of programs and consolidations of schools in Redwood City, school principals and classified staff also receive notices as part of the formal process,” he said in an email.

He said the principals will be offered an opportunity to return to a teaching position, which is customary when school districts choose to lay off administrators. Four of the principals filled positions at comprehensive sites, and one of the principals was identified as an administrator on special assignment, according to a district report. Quintana said the specific administrators who will be laid off are yet to be identified, as the action before the board is solely to eliminate the positions from the budget.

He added the decision to issue pink slips is required as officials lay the groundwork for budget approval later this year.

Meanwhile, he suggested eliminating the teaching positions may not result in jobs lost, as natural attrition and retirements could account for many of the positions which officials need to keep open for the coming school year.

Quintana also noted the district is hiring educators to fill specialized positions as the districts shifts its focus from a neighborhood school system to one built around larger campuses with unique programs.

“The district is also hiring new teachers according to areas of need such as Mandarin and Spanish immersion teachers for these growing programs as well as special education teachers and educators for the middle grades,” he said.

The district is amidst an overhaul, following a decision last year to close Fair Oaks, Adelante, Hawes and Orion elementary schools. Under the decision, the identified schools will be merged with other campuses in an effort to move the district away from a neighborhood school system to one built around larger, comprehensive campuses.

Adelante will be folded into a similar Spanish immersion program offered at Selby Lane Elementary School; Fair Oaks will merge with Taft Elementary School; 570 Hawes students will be primarily distributed between Henry Ford and Roosevelt campuses; and Orion will be consumed by John Gill Elementary School, where Hawes students can attend as well. Should students wish to attend a school different than their newly-assigned campus, they will have a priority to enroll at different school of choice.

The variety of initiatives are designed to cut about $4 million out of a $10 million budget hole, which district officials claimed would have been addressed similarly by those at the county and state if not for the board’s decision.

Dwindling enrollment is the source of the district’s budget issues, as the school system is allocated money according to average daily attendance which has dropped due to the rise in popularity of charter schools. Increased pension obligations have been cited as a source of ongoing financial concern as well.

Officials continue grappling with the budget too, as the most recent financial update suggests spending outpaces income by about $5 million. The district is also projecting a reserve fund worth about $3.7 million, well below the amount preferred by officials.

Quintana said as officials continue forming the budget in advance of the final June deadline for the next school year, the positions which may be eliminated will continue to shift and the financial landscape will evolve.

“Some of these positions will be formally eliminated and will indeed be a savings measure for the organization, other positions outside of the classroom will be reinstated,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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