Dover Teachers’ Union Reacts To Potential Elimination of 40 Teaching Positions
The Dover Teachers' Union reacted this week to the news that approximately 40 teaching positions could be eliminated under a new tax-cap compliant budget for the 2022 fiscal year.
Posting to Facebook on Wednesday, the Dover Teachers' Union shared that the Dover School District had been tasked with compiling a new budget, according to the post, which added that preliminary estimates could require significant position reductions.
According to those projections, shared by the Dover Teachers' Union on Wednesday and originally outlined during a Dover School Board meeting on Monday, those 40 district-wide reductions in teaching positions could include 11 elementary teaching job reductions, 13 middle school reductions, and 16 high school reductions.
Additionally, the post relayed that the new mandate could result in the elimination of 14 para-educator positions, three clerical positions, and five non-union positions.
The Dover Teachers' Union estimated the total cost of the staffing reduction would be $3.8 million.
The Dover School Board is expected to start discussions regarding the budget on Monday.
Here is the full post from the Dover Teachers' Union:
The Dover School District has been tasked to come up with a tax-cap compliant budget for FY 22. To meet this mandate, preliminary estimates would require the following reductions:
District-wide reductions in teaching positions: 40 total positions (11, Elementary, 13 Middle, 16 High)
District-wide reductions in para educator positions: 14 total positions (15 Elementary, 2 Middle, -4 High)
District-wide reductions in clearical positions: 3 total positions
District-wide reductions in non-union positions: 5 total positions
The total estimated cost of this reduction to staffing is $3,802,336.
The School Board will begin discussions about the budget on Monday, February 1st.