W. Bloomfield lays off 21 teachers for next school year

The West Bloomfield Schools Board of Education has announced the layoff of 21 teachers for the upcoming 2011-12 school year.

Rick Arnett, assistant superintendent of human resources and labor relations, spoke of the pending layoffs at the school board’s meeting held on Monday, May 9.

Whether any of the laid off teachers will be called back to work is dependent upon the district’s student enrollment figures for the 2011-12 academic year.

Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator Pamela Zajac said that of the 21 teachers that were pink slipped, 17 of those are employed at the elementary school level.

In 2010, the district pink-slipped 39 teachers during 2010-11 budget planning, before recalling 25 of those teachers back to work.

In 2009, the district pink-slipped 84 teachers during 2009-10 budget planning, before recalling 76 of those teachers back to work.

Zajac added that the district and the West Bloomfield Education Association held a bargaining session on Thursday, May 12 to try to come to an agreement on a new contract, but that there were no developments.

The district’s teachers are currently working without a contract after their previous contract expired on Aug. 31, 2010.

The West Bloomfield Board of Education at a special meeting on Thursday, March 31 approved a 10-percent salary cut for the district’s teachers by a 5-2 vote.

The district had the Michigan Employment Relations Commission put together a fact-finding report after two hearing dates were held in October.

The report was released in January and recommended an immediate across-the-board, 10-percent reduction in the salary schedule, which had been originally proposed by the district administration.