Valparaiso schools plan axes teachers, aides, support staff

VALPARAISO | Voters won't see a school funding referendum on their ballots this spring, instead students likely will see some big changes in their classrooms come fall.

Valparaiso Community Schools Superintendent Andrew Melin on Tuesday presented School Board members and hundreds of parents and teachers with a plan to ax $3.5 million in operating expenses.

The hardest hit will be the district's instructional aides, 68 of whom will be left without a job. Those remaining will see their pay move to $10 an hour and will no longer receive any paid days off.

Melin said each of the district's aides would need to apply for the positions, which will be divided up by grade level and other special responsibilities.

The district also could see a reduction in the number of classroom teachers. Under the plan, 21 teaching positions would need to be eliminated, though Melin told board members retirements and resignations could bring that number down.

If cuts are needed, Melin said they likely would happen at the middle and high schools, as elementary cuts could push class sizes beyond a reasonable number. Even with those cuts, Melin said there are no plans to eliminate programs, a comment that drew laughter from the crowd.

Administrators would take a three-day furlough, have their pay frozen for a second year and see the elimination of a position at the high school.

Two secretarial positions also would be eliminated at the high school, along with a central office secretary. Remaining secretaries at the middle and high school levels will see the number of workdays cut.

Valparaiso High School also will lose a custodial position, and a social worker position will be eliminated through attrition.

When it comes to summer school, the district would offer only classes fully reimbursed by the state. That means only reading courses for first, second and third grades and only high school classes for graduation credit would be offered.

Extracurricular activities also would see sharp cuts, with 16 athletic coaching, eight fine arts and 42 academic club adviser positions eliminated.

Melin said the expectation is that no activities would be suspended and that teachers or other community members would volunteer their time to keep the clubs and teams staffed.