The Wake County school board voted this week to cut 174 clerical jobs.
At its Tuesday meeting the board voted 5-2 to approve a reduction in force for 155 school-based clerical and 19 central services secretarial positions.
These positions were eliminated in Superintendent Tony Tata’s budget proposal and will save the district more than $5 million.
David Neter, the district’s chief financial officer, warned that the cuts could be only the beginning.
“The current proposal in the [North Carolina House of Representatives] cuts $8 million in non-instructional support,” he said, adding that the current reduction in force only covers a little more than half of that deficit. Additional job losses could come in the custodial staff.
Kevin Hill, who voted against the cuts along with Anne McLaurin, did not believe uniform clerical cuts at all schools were wise. Roughly each school in the district lost one clerical position.
“The impact at the elementary level could have an impact on classrooms,” Hill said. “I consider the library a classroom. I’m not comfortable relying on volunteers. I don’t think elementary schools are equipped to handle these cuts at the level of middle schools and high schools.”
bleclaire@raleighpublicrecord.org
