Gary, Ind. Schools Laying Off Hundreds Of Teachers
GARY, Ind. (CBS) -- Larger classroom size, fewer administrators, less security and nearly 300 pink slips for teachers.
Those are just a few of the cutbacks as the Gary, Ind. school district faces the biggest budget cut in its history. Like school districts across the country, it's not the first time Gary has had its budget cut by the state.
But it's never been this deep.
Two years ago, the state reduced funding by just over $4 million. This year, it was $5 million.
Next year's projection is $18 million.
There are 115 teachers at Gary's Roosevelt high school. This week, more than a third of them got pink slips. Donna Martin is one of them.
"Bill collectors don't care about you not having a job," said Martin, who's only been teaching two years.
Martin is also one of the nearly 300 teachers in the city who have been told they probably won't be needed next year.
Part of the reason is declining enrollment. There are 11,000 students in the district now, but the district expects to lose between 300 to 500 students to charter Schools. Another reason is a severe reduction in state funding; the budget drops from $94 million to $76 million.
"It's devastating," Gary schools superintendent Myrtle Campbell said.
Roosevelt principal Phyllis Hammond says teachers will have to work harder because of the cutbacks. That may mean a longer school day for teachers, and more students in the classroom, an average increase of 23 to 28.
Losing teachers is not something students want to hear.
"They teach us like we're their own," Roosevelt student Amber McKinstry said.
Hammond says she'll also have to let counselors, janitors and security guards go. At the board, the superintendent will cut 20 of the 80 staff members, but it's part of the sacrifice in order to save music, art, gym and major classes.
"We don't want to cut advanced-placement classes or special education," Campbell said.
So what does the teacher's union say about all the cutbacks? At this point they're not protesting the move.
Administrators say the teachers understand the district is in big financial trouble.
The union is hoping enrollment will stabilize so that some of the 300 laid-off teachers will be called back to the classrooms.
