After nearly eight hours of discussion and motions to amend<\/a>, the Broward County School Board voted Tuesday to go ahead with a new organizational chart that would lay off about 300 staff members in various roles and eliminate 700 vacant positions.<\/p>\nThose moves would save the district more than $50 million. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a massive amount of layoffs,\u201d said District 2 Board Member Rebecca Thompson. \u201cNo one\u2018s ever going to be completely happy, but I think at the end of the day, we made a plan that\u2019s going to make us a more stable school system.\u201d<\/p>\n
District 6 Board Member Adam Cervera was one of two members to vote against it. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to affect our students, unfortunately, I believe in a very negative way,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Some of the positions cut include social workers, student support instruction specialists and mental health professionals. <\/p>\n
\u201cPeople that have direct interaction with our students on a day-to-day basis, as opposed to starting from the top, in this district, and getting rid of some of the bloat,\u201d said Cervera.<\/p>\n
Superintendent Howard Hepburn said the approved plan also includes substantial cuts to higher level positions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe highest percentage of cuts proportionally were actually central office personnel, especially directors and above our senior level positions, that was 16%,\u201d said Hepburn. <\/p>\n
He says those in eliminated positions could still fill other vacancies within the district, such as classroom teachers and other positions with high turnover.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make sure we prioritize our support to make sure any staff that\u2019s impacted is transitioned well,\u201d Hepburn said. <\/p>\n
Some board members expressed relief to now being able to move on to other district challenges, like getting students back in public schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want it to be within our consciousness that we are equally focusing on increasing student enrollment,\u201d District 5 Board Member Jeff Holness said. <\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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