McDonald: Job Cuts Not Being Considered

Maggie Wall/KMXT

Kodiak’s schools may not be getting as much money as was hoped from the Kodiak Island Borough for next year’s budget, and while school administrators scramble to crunch numbers and consider options to balance the budget, one item will not be on the cutting table – current jobs.

KMXT’s Maggie Wall reports.

– ((School Board 1:14 "With proposed….current staff levels."))

With proposed funding cuts from the borough, many school district employees have been on edge about their jobs. But Kodiak Island Borough School Superintendent Stewart McDonald told the school board at Monday night’s regular meeting that the schools’ attorney says current employees cannot lose jobs solely because of budget cuts:

Last week the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly voted to fund schools at $8.5 million, substantially less than school administrators expected. Assembly members said they would consider increasing that amount, but must first fill the holes in its own budget for next year.

McDonald pointed out to the borough assembly last week and again to the school board Monday night, the big cut is a change in direction for borough funding that will require the school district to rethink the way it approaches local education:

Given all the unexpected change in plans concerning staffing cuts, McDonald proposed taking advantage of a retreat already scheduled and using the time to refocus on how to make ends meet while still maintaining current staff levels.

I’m Maggie Wall.

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