The School Department must notify teachers of potential layoff by June 15.
WESTFIELD — In an effort to minimize potential staff reductions, the School Department has offered an incentive for early retirement to its teaching staff.
Also, Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Scallion said this week officials are looking to build programs within the School Department that will save funding.
Suzanne Scallion“We are looking at our enrollment and determining if any staff that will be retiring, or leaving, must be replaced” for the new school year, she said.
The incentive will provide potential retirees with $10,000, to be paid out over a three-year period and, if approved, could save the School Department $250,000, Scallion said.
The department must find $860,000 to cover a deficit in the fiscal 2013 budget the School Committee has sent to the City Council for approval. The committee last month approved a $55.5 million budget for the new year that starts July 1 and instructed administration to develop plans to offset the deficit.
The budget as approved by the School Committee has the potential for layoffs of 10 teachers and 20 paraprofessional employees.
Scallion said this week “we hope to avoid that situation.”
School Committee finance chairwoman Cynthia A. Sullivan raised the question of possible retirement incentives at the May budget meeting.
Westfield Education Association president Lori A. Hovey said the incentive is an opportunity for teachers considering retirement. The WEA represents the district’s 640 teachers.
School officials have said there are 11 potential retirements. But, several staff members currently on long-term leaves for medical or other reasons are expected to return for the 2012-2013 school year.
Acting Human Resources Director Charles E. Tetrault said this week that positions for those returning from absences have been filled by long-term substitute teachers, so their positions are available.
But Tetrault also noted that the department is required by teacher contract to notify teachers of possible layoff by June 15.
“We are working to develop a plan to address that deadline,” Tetrault said.