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[ Originally published on: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 ]
SUNDERLAND -- About 25 employees at Sunderland Elementary School received notice that their employment may not be guaranteed next year.
In a move widely lamented by school officials, pink slips went out to the school's four classroom assistants, the art teacher, the technology teacher, the music teacher and the band and orchestra teachers among others.
Typically, employment contract letters are mailed to teachers each July, said Frontier Regional and Union 38 Superintendent Regina Nash. But this year, the school will likely not have an approved budget by July 1, because of pending budget and tax cap override votes. That meant the school was obliged to give notice to employees whose positions could not be guaranteed as a result of these uncertainties, she said.
Nash said the pink slip notices would be rescinded if the school's proposed budget is approved at a special town meeting June 12 and then again by a Proposition 2½ override vote, which Massachusetts law stipulates must occur within 35 days of town meeting.
Also, the school nurse, librarian, along with the math and reading specialists all stand to have their hours reduced in the event that the school's proposed budget is not approved by Sunderland voters.
''Obviously, this is something that we don't wish to do,'' said Nash. ''We're very concerned about our employees who have done a great job for the youngsters in Sunderland but I have no other choice.''
School officials painted a gloomy picture of an elementary school without music or art, in the event that the school's $2,367,980 budget for next year did not pass. That figure represents a 3 percent increase in the school's finances over this school year ending.
''This school wouldn't even be a shadow of itself if these cuts were made,'' said elementary school Principal Penny Spearance. She noted that the school had prepared a list of contingency cuts totaling $275,000 at the request of selectmen in February.
School Committee Chairwoman Lynn Cook said that personnel were all that was left to cut from the elementary school's ledger.
She noted that the school had made all the cuts it could in terms of energy and supply costs.
