ROCKFORD, IL — Rockford Public Schools hopes to minimize the number of people it is putting out of work even as it slashes 110 positions by moving those with certification into open teaching positions.
School officials project a $15 million budget deficit next school year and plan painful cuts to close the gap rather than spending down reserves or significantly raising property taxes. The shortfall represents about 3% of the district’s roughly $500 million budget.
“All of those folks that have teacher certifications are going to have an opportunity to slide into a different kind of a job,” Superintendent Ehren Jarrett said during a March 13 news conference. “In many cases, people are not being released. They are being what’s called surplused. And without getting overly technical, essentially, they’ll be able to slide into certified positions.”…