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Medford to lose more teachers Legislature could make problem worse By DAMIAN MANN Medford schools likely will lose more than 26 teaching positions next year and could face more staff cuts as administrators brace for a worsening financial situation that will result in increased class sizes this fall. Revenue projections from the state fall short of previous estimates, forcing the district to dig deeper into its reserves and to cut 19.5 elementary teaching positions and five child development instructors. The district is also eyeing two additional elementary school teaching positions and other staff positions for cuts if the Oregon Legislature reduces the $5.2 billion education package that was proposed by Gov. John Kitzhaber. All employee cutbacks would be made through attrition, either from retirements or employees leaving the district, said Superintendent Steve Wisely. Staff reductions are being made primarily at the elementary schools because they have experienced a decline in enrollment. Wisely said the district still will be forced to increase class sizes. The district previously had predicted it would cut 19.5 teaching positions to make up for a $1.8 million shortfall. But new projections from the state show a decline in revenues that have boosted the shortfall to $2 million. "The state overpredicted what the property taxes would be," said Wisely. "The state has taken money away from us this year and money away from us last year, and it's not looking good for next year," said Wisely. These cuts, plus a more than $4 million surge in the cost of salaries, insurance and utilities, have left the district with insufficient funding to maintain staffing at current levels. Insurance costs alone have risen $1.8 million after the district lost its health maintenance organization last year when the company pulled out of Jackson County. The district has agreed to pay the increase this year and any potential increase next fiscal year, but it wants to place a 7 percent cap in 2003 in hopes that it can drive down usage and prevent more staff cuts. Wisely said the teacher reductions can be attributed in part to the increase in insurance costs. The Oregon Education Association and the Medford Education Association plan to file a grievance against the district because the proposed cap was not part of a negotiated contract ratified in 1999 and in effect until 2004. District officials say they should be able to open the contract because no one could have foreseen the HMO pulling out of Jackson County. "It's out of control of the district, the state and the nation," said school board member Peggy Penland. "Medical costs are out of control." Though she believes teachers deserve more money and good benefits, Penland said, "In the climate we're in, nobody is giving more money to us." Penland said the insurance problem, which now consumes $10.1 million of the district's $80 million budget, must be a collaborative effort in which employees work to lessen usage of the program and bring down expenses. "We should all hang together or assuredly we will all hang together," said Penland, who is also a member of the state organization School Funding Now. Penland said teachers complain about stress now, but without an insurance compromise to help reduce staff cuts, class sizes will go up and so will the stress. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," she said. Penland believes teaching is a complicated and stressful profession. But, she added, "As the wife of a police officer, you understand stress in a whole different way." James Bond, a consultant with the Oregon Education Association, said, "The reality of this is that the Medford teachers and teachers over the state are doing more with less and seeing their workloads increase." As to an assertion that the union didn't want to work with the district, Bond said, "The union was still willing to stay at the table and willing to work through these issues. They (district officials) were the ones who stopped the negotiations." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.