Damakant Jayshi
The Wausau School District will likely cut staffing for the next school year to address a projected $3.5 million budget shortfall, though no announcements have been made on specific staff reductions.
Although details are not yet known, the staff cuts will likely happen before the new school year begins in September.
The staff reduction item was listed both for open and closed session discussion. The closed session was somewhat explicit: “Consideration of contracts for preliminary notice of non-renewal.”
But board member Pat McKee asked the rationale for the closed session, since they were not discussing any specific names. Superintendent Keith Hilts replied that the board would actually see a list of specific people likely to see a layoff.
“Preliminary notice has to be delivered by the end of this month, and so we thought we would give you an actual list of names tonight to take preliminary action,” Hilts said. After that, the administration will speak with those staffers and the “board will have another opportunity to look at that list and take further action for the final notice in May.”
Later, during the roll call vote to go into the closed session, seven of the eight members present voted in favor of going into a closed session but McKee voted no.
School Board President James Bouche decline to share details about the closed session, saying he could not share anything at this time.
