VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — An email sent to Volusia County Teachers Thursday night, has sparked concern about possible positions and program cuts, just before the start of the district’s spring break.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
President of the Volusia United Educators, Elizabeth Albert, said teachers were told the loss of the ESSER funding, which was given to districts across the country to close gaps during the pandemic, would play a role in staffing the next school year.
The district was awarded $200 million dollars from the federal government over the past four years.
Read: Friday’s rains temporarily drop Central Florida’s pollen count; more rain to come
“The rumor mill is up at full speed and our people are worried,” said Albert.
However, district leaders maintain no specific position cuts will be made. Instead, some schools could choose to shift or combine jobs to eliminate costs. The final decision will be up to each principal.
Read: Marion County man arrested, accused of shooting at couple, five-month-old
“It was if you have this number of students then you get this number of positions, and this is where those positions need to be. Now, instead of that one size fits all model, the schools are given here is a menu, here is a possibility of how you can spend the money,” said Deputy Superintendent Rachel Hazel.
The district currently has 61 instructional vacancies and has even hired 20 international teachers to help fill vacancies.
Both the district and union agree losing any additional staff would be taxing on schools.
Read: Princess Kate diagnosed with cancer
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2024 Cox Media Group
