Kanawha County Schools to Eliminate Positions

Kanawha County’s school system is planning to have about 90 fewer positions next fiscal year because of a shrinking budget. Kanawha County Schools’ human resources specialist Kim Olsen tells The Gazette-Mail that there are 52 teacher position cuts planned for next school year, but the cuts have led to only four teachers altogether losing guaranteed jobs next school year. There are dozens of retirements. Human resources specialist Tabetha Gillespie says about 20 “service” employees, including custodians and classroom aides, are also losing guaranteed jobs. Superintendent Ron Duerring says much of the $2.3 proposed million budget decrease is due to a 590-student drop from last school year. The state budget is still pending, which could change the local school budgets.