MAJOR CUTS AT MORONGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, LAYOFFS, COMBINING SCHOOLS, BUS CUTS
Reacting to even more cuts to education from the state, the Morongo Unified School District announced yesterday it was taking severe actions. On top of an immediate million dollar cut for transportation, $2.4 million for next year, the state announced yet another 3.2 million will be cut from the local districts’ General Fund if the governor’s tax proposals don’t pass. According to a press release faxed to Z107.7 News yesterday, the school district will be closing one school, at least for now, and eliminating 18 teaching positions. The school district said it will close Monument Continuation School in Twentynine Palms, and move students, faculty and staff to Sky High School in Yucca Valley. The District will also give layoff notices to 11 elementary teachers, two high school teachers and five special education teachers. The press release also said the district will eliminate some management and classified positions at the district office and at school sites. Superintendent Jim Majchrzak said, “The school district plans to restore some of the abolished positions and reopen Monument High School as soon as the funding issue is fixed, or at least stabilized.” Majchrzak said he hopes teacher retirements will reduce the number of layoffs, and he plans to offer monetary incentives to senior teachers to encourage them to retire and be replaced by more junior teachers on the lower end of the pay scale. In addition, the district will compress bus routes next year to cut more transportation costs. Majchrzak pointed out that funding per pupil has gone from near the top to almost last when compared to all the states. Administrators were at school sites yesterday notifying school district employees about the cuts.
MAJOR CUTS AT MORONGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, LAYOFFS, COMBINING SCHOOLS, BUS CUTS
