Teachers recalled; more could come at meeting Sept. 6

All but eight of the 103 Walled Lake Consolidated School District teachers who received layoff notices during the 2011-12 school year were recalled by the first day of classes yesterday, Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Judy Evola, spokeswoman for the district, said 16 district teachers were recalled by school board members during a Wednesday, Aug. 29 special meeting. An additional 16 teachers were recalled in July and 63 more teachers were recalled in June.

“There is a possibility that additional teachers may be recalled at the next board meeting,” Evola said.

In April, the Board of Education approved terminating 103 teacher positions throughout the district. Those positions were initially cut at the end of the 2011-12 school year.

Tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 6, the board will consider the recall of teachers who were laid off at the April meeting, according to the meeting agenda.

Evola said the layoffs and recalls involved teachers working at every grade level and at nearly every school in the district.

“There has been a significant shift of staff throughout the district as a result of closing the two elementary schools in the spring,” Evola said.

She added that classes should remain at about the same size as they had been during the previous school year.

Twin Beach Elementary and Maple Elementary schools closed at the end of the 2011-12 school year following a recommendation by a facility utilization study conducted by Plante Moran. The study found the schools were operating at 83-percent capacity, but enrollment was expected to drop to about 76 percent within five years.

The closings are expect to reduce the district’s operational costs by about $655,000 each year. Evola said staffing costs represent about 85 percent of the district’s $150 million budget.