REESE, BAY CITY -- Depending on the school district, large amounts of early retirements and cost-cutting buyout packages accepted earlier in the year may be affecting your son or daughter’s class size. State lawmakers looked to take the financial edge off of both the treasury and local school districts by instituting retirement packages designed to cut millions of dollars red ink.
Seven teachers/support staff and one administrator took early retirement offers at Reese Public Schools. Superintendent Storm Lairson told NBC25 it has led to larger student numbers in some classes, even as five of those positions were reinstated. Workers came back into those positions at the bottom earning levels: averaging $35,000 a year.
In Bay City, more than 110 staffers opted for early retirement through a plan that actually came before the one announced by Lansing lawmakers. Superintendent Doug Newcombe said teachers made up about half of that number. The district saved $5 million dollars, but Newcombe said he avoided larger class sizes, for the most part.
“We base our staffing levels on what we see, not driven by whether we expect more or less students. You might have more at the elementary school (for example) and that’s where you need to put your focus,” he said.
While district leaders are dealing with current financial constraints, they are divided on what the future holds for them. Newcombe said changes made this past year will likely prevent any problems developing next year. However Lairson told NBC25 she is running out of areas to cut and urged state leaders to come up with a lasting solution instead of short term fixes.
