Emergency funding urged to prevent worst school cuts in 50 years
In Elgin, Ill., School Superintendent Jose Torres has had to eliminate early childhood classes for 100 children, cut middle school football, raise high school class sizes from 24 to 30 students, close swimming pools to save on the cost of chlorine, and lay off 1,000 school employees, including 700 teachers, The New York Timesreported this week.
And he thinks next year will be worse.
As state and local governments grapple with shrinking revenues and soaring budget shortfalls in the continuing fallout from the national economic crisis, public schools are among the top targets for cuts, even as they face new pressure to produce higher test scores.
Tens of thousands of teachers and other school staff are facing layoffs across the country for the coming school year, with school districts projecting slashed programs, larger class sizes and shortened school weeks.
The 2010-2011 school year "is shaping up as one of the most austere in the last half century," the Times report says.
In California, 22,000 teachers have gotten layoff notices. Illinois officials predict 17,000 public school job cuts.