Jeffco latest to announce cuts

Written by Nancy Mitchell on Mar 11th, 2011. | Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org

Jeffco School Board President Dave Thomas and Superintendent Cindy Stevenson at Friday's press conference.

GOLDEN – Colorado’s largest school district announced plans Friday to close two schools, cut all employees’ pay by 3 percent and trim two days from the school year in the face of nearly $40 million in cuts for 2011-12.
Jefferson County Public Schools’ budget proposal also includes charging students to ride school buses, reducing graduation requirements by a single credit and suspending a popular outdoor lab program that’s been a rite of passage for sixth-graders since 1962.
A total of 212 jobs will be cut across the district, including more than 100 teachers, but district leaders said most of that will come from normal attrition, not re-hiring temporary employees and leaving positions vacant.

• Go straight to details of the budget proposal.
• Watch video of Friday’s press conference.
• Read the district’s FAQ and timeline on the proposal.
• Visit the district website to provide feedback.

“The impacts are deep,” Jeffco school board president Dave Thomas said at a morning news conference. “I am really profoundly saddened that we have to do these closures. However, we had very few choices and none of them were pleasant.”