Aiken schools cut programs, jobs

AIKEN --- Before Wednesday's classes even started, Galan Potter knew she had to deliver bad news to her International Baccalaureate students at North Augusta High School.

The advanced classes were included in more than $9 million in budget cuts the Aiken County School District recommended to the school board Tuesday for the 2009-10 school year.

Mrs. Potter was dealt a double whammy. She is not only looking at losing her position as the IB program coordinator, but also could lose her job because she's a retired teacher who has returned to the classroom.

More than 120 positions are to be eliminated to meet the school district's expected shortfall next year. Cutting the IB program from Aiken and North Augusta high schools would eliminate six positions. The two-year program allows students to pursue advanced classes for a special certificate or diploma.

The district has already cut more than $9 million from its $154 million budget for this school year. Comptroller Tray Traxler said he was planning a 15 percent cut from current levels of funding for next year, which would total more than $12 million. The $9 million proposed Tuesday still wouldn't balance next year's budget.

Superintendent Beth Everitt said the system would initially fill open positions with contracted employees for next year. That leaves at-will retirees -- teachers such as Mrs. Potter who retired and were rehired without a contract -- at risk of losing their jobs.

Still, Mrs. Potter puts the needs of her students ahead of her desire to continue in the classroom.

"It's greedy of me as an individual to want them to keep the IB program, because if they can save $700,000, (the school board) should do it, but it's still sad," Mrs. Potter said.

But no one's ready to just give up the program, she said.

"I even had a student come up and put his hand on my shoulder and wanted to know what he could do. He said he'd write a letter and get his friends to sign it," she said.

Of the more than 120 positions to be cut, 90 would come from raising pupil-teacher ratios in elementary schools by three and in middle and high schools by two. The cuts account for $4.95 million of the proposed $9 million. Twenty-one more cuts would come from reorganizing district positions.

Dr. Everitt sent an e-mail to employees Wednesday morning, detailing what happens next. She said she would like all teachers to know their plans for next year by April 15.

"The first thing we have to do, once we know where reductions will come from, is know where we'll reassign staff, look at who's retiring, who's not coming back, who's resigning," she said. She said administrators hope "to keep as many retirees as possible."

Mrs. Potter and her staff kept teaching Wednesday. She's still planning a pinning ceremony, in which senior IB students welcome juniors to the program, for Tuesday.

Reach Julia Sellers at (706) 823-3424 or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com