Harford Schools Cut Positions, Add Activity Fee

Under the budget approved by Board of Education of Harford County Monday night, 46 school system employees will lose their jobs.

The budget, which takes effect July 1, closes a $20.2 million shortfall created by the county budget, which was approved on May 28, Harford County Public Schools said in a news release Tuesday. The system's negotiated wage package comprised $7.7 million of those cuts, according to the release.

"The Board of Education has continuously approved a needs-based budget and made necessary cuts over the past several years in an effort to minimally affect the classroom," board President Rick Grambo said in the release. "Unfortunately, the time has come where tough decisions were necessary to balance the current budget;however, it is our hope that the adjustments we made will help to ease the burden as we know we will be faced with the same plight in future years."

The board also added a fee for student participation in athletics or school activities (children of school system teachers and active duty military personnel and children who receive free or reduced-price lunches are exempt). The system also made changes to bus service, including consolidating routes for middle and high school students.

Approximately 115 positions are being eliminated, mostly through attrition, according to the release. The 46 current employees affected were notified beginning Tuesday, as required under state law.

The cut positions include 78.5 full-time equivalent teaching positions in world languages, paraeducation and other support roles. Read the details from the school system in the attached PDF.

“Throughout the economic downturn over the last several years, we have worked diligently to protect the classroom, our teachers and our students as much as possible,” Superintendent Robert M. Tomback said in the release. “Unfortunately, as the largest portion of a school system’s budget is dedicated to staffing, of which approximately onethird are teachers, we are at a point where it became impossible to escape staffing reductions that many of our neighboring school systems have faced over the past few years."

Tomback leaves his post at the end of the month.

All certified teachers whose positions were eliminated will be placed on a recall list for two years.

TELL US: What do you think of the cuts made by the school system? How do you feel about the new activity fee? Leave a comment.