Ax falls at Puyallup School District headquarters. Net total of nine jobs eliminated
The Puyallup School District eliminated 13 positions in the central administrative office last week.
Four of those positions will be re-posted in a different form.
Some were executive-level positions, like chief communications and arts officer and chief academic officer and will be something less than that in the new restructure, said Corine Pennington, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Support Services.
Those let go will continue to be paid through the end of the school year, or June 30.
“These are very difficult but necessary decisions given our four-year projection of ongoing budget deficits,” Pennington told The Puyallup Herald in an email. “The priority of our board and community is to make necessary reductions away from our schools and classrooms wherever possible.”
The layoffs come after the school board directed management to cut a minimum of eight positions. This fiscal year, the district is expected to collect $310 million and spend $323 million according to district projections. The district has dipped into reserves for the $13.4 million deficit.
School Board President Kathy Yang said making these cuts was the most difficult thing she has had to do while on the school board, but something had to be done.
Ninety-two percent of Washington school districts get more state and local funding per pupil than Puyallup, a study done by the League of Education Voters said.
Part of the issue, Yang said, is the state formula for funding. The state set an average salary for a teacher and then adjusted costs by region. While Sumner-Bonney Lake School District and Tacoma School District received a 12% increase of state salary funding, Puyallup collects 6 percent.
The school board is expected to lay out the new leadership structure and hear plans for a new operational levy proposal on Friday at 9 a.m. in the administrative building at 302 2nd St. SE.
This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
