Wood County Schools nears personnel season

Cuts expected to be fewer, less severe than last year

PARKERSBURG -- As Wood County Schools discusses personnel, initial numbers show fewer cuts may be needed this year, officials said.

Superintendent Will Hosaflook said officials will soon bring staffing recommendations to the Wood County Schools Board of Education and in early April will begin the Reduction-In-Force, or RIF, and transfer process. All staffing for the coming school year will be finalized by the beginning of May, he said.

Hosaflook said current student enrollment, which is the basis for state funding, stands at 12,184, which, though down from last year, is not as big a drop in enrollment as has been seen in past years.

"Every 10-11 students we lose is roughly one professional position," he said.

Last year 32 professional positions were cut due to a loss of enrollment. This year, though enrollment has continued to decline, officials said the closure and consolidation of several schools has reduced the number of positions to about 14.

The school system also will look at service personnel positions, Hosaflook said. While a high number of both professional and service positions were cut last year, "almost everyone still had a job. It might not have been where they wanted, but they still had a job," he said.

The personnel process is governed by a host of state and federal laws concerning employees. Those whose positions are to be eliminated or who are being made to transfer have the opportunity to request a hearing before the school board. Employees are able to "bump" less-senior employees out of positions, which can create a domino effect of transfers.

Three elementary schools - McKinley, Waverly and Worthington - will close at the end of the school year and will merge with other schools. In those instances, employees from the closing schools will be given first opportunity at new positions in the receiving schools.

"It is a very busy time and a very intensive process," Hosaflook said. "Twenty-eight principals go through the staffing process, looking at every position and each school. It's a collaborative effort."

Elementary schools have limits on how many students can be in a classroom in different grade levels, but Hosaflook said an area of concern is the high schools. Those classes do not have a limit on the number of students, but a single teacher might represent an entire program.

"We have to consider that when we are looking at staffing at the high schools. A lot depends on student interest and what courses are needed," he said.

Michael Erb can be reached at newsandsentinel.com.