Forty two Bellingham Public Schools teachers will not be hired back in any capacity for the 2023-24 school year as a result of the district’s $16 million budget cut, according to a recently released personnel recommendation list.
Fifteen more teachers are getting their hours reduced and are coming back on a part-time basis. One library media specialist will also not be hired back, the list shows.
The personnel changes were approved unanimously by the board at its Thursday evening meeting as part of the consent agenda. Board members held no discussions of the staffing changes at the meeting prior to approval.
Cordata Elementary School is losing the most certificated personnel of all of the Bellingham Public Schools, with five teachers assigned to the school not being hired back in any capacity for the 2023-24 school year.
The district will still honor required class size ratios, though, according to Bellingham Public Schools spokeswoman Dana Smith. Some teachers may be relocated to other schools within the district to fill any possible gaps in staff. No schools will be disproportionately affected by a reduction in overall staff, she said.
The school district announced in late April that the $16 million deficit would affect staffing, resources and class sizes for the 2023-24 school year, citing a poor state funding model, the loss of federal COVID dollars, increased costs and decreased enrollment as primary reasons for the cuts.
The Bellingham Public Schools 2022-23 budget...
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