Rochester School Superintendent Terry Dade says he couldn’t have imagined the district ending up with a $30 million budget overrun when he came on duty July First. But Dade says he knows what has to be done to bail the district out from under.
At a school board meeting Tuesday night, Dade laid out plans for a five percent staff cut followed by a hiring freeze, plus new rules making it harder to call in substitute teachers. That’s where he says much of the overrun was founded.
About $10 million in teaching and staff cuts would begin in January. That would amount to a loss of 168 teaching positions and 18 administrators, which was immediately condemned by the Rochester Teachers Association.
There will also be cuts to after school programs and extended after-school learning time. Contracts will be reviewed and other steps will be taken.
Some of these steps the superintendent can take on his own authority, others will require school board approval.