In order to battle budget woes, several teachers will lose their jobs
CHEBOYGAN, MI -- More Northern Michigan jobs could be on the chopping block Monday night. The Cheboygan School Board is expected to make a decision that would give the pink slip to several teachers as the district battles budget woes.
The recommendation will be to pink slip eight teachers, in hopes to save $475,000.
Mark Dombroski took the role as the Cheboygan Superintendent last summer.
“I knew we were facing some challenges, I had no idea it would be this difficult, that we would take this big of a cut financially," said Dombroski.
He says the district plans to cut five percent from their budget this year and for the seventh straight year, the number of teachers will be reduced.
"We’re now cutting into staff that has worked for us in excess of 10 years," said Dombroski.
"We’re looking at least 50, 60, 100, 120 teaching jobs," explained Bob Kwiatkoski, the Uniserv Director of Michigan Education Association’s Northern Zone.
Kwiatkoski says the number of Northern Michigan teachers being laid off is going to hurt the kids.
"We're going to be losing this whole generation of kids, with this, the money is there, they just don't want to spend it," he explained.
The Michigan State House has voted to transfer a portion of the Education General Fund money, which has a surplus of $240-million, to higher education and to the general fund.
"If we don't take care of out kids, we don't have much of a future," said Dombroski.
And for Cheboygan students, like senior Jaykob Wood, he knows changes do need to be made.
“That's the priority, to keep this school going," he said.
But students do wonder if this is the right place.
"I’m sure there could be excess that could be trimmed rather than cutting what I think are very good teaching positions," said Matthew Drogowski, a Cheboygan High School student.
The decision is expected to be made at the school board meeting Monday night at seven. Right now, no programs are expected to be cut, but Dombroski says it could happen later on.
Superintendent Dombroski says in the years past, there is always a glimmer of hope that these pink-slipped teachers can be rehired. But he says the way it looks this year, it's probably not going to happen.
