Superintendent's Message

May 2009

Dear Shoreline Schools Community,

This month 29 of our valued members (equivalent to 21 full-time positions) in the Shoreline family received letters that formally non-renew their contracts with the Shoreline School District for 2009-10. I personally delivered six of those letters and know first-hand that there are real people, with amazing professional and personal skills, whose lives are negatively impacted by this required reduction in our work force (RIF). We all deeply regret that this action was necessary.

The reduction of more than $3.5 million in Shoreline’s state funding for 2009-2010, in combination with our declining enrollment, make it necessary for the District to reduce its staffing. We are very frustrated because the 2009-2010 school year was to be the first year in a long time that the District would be able to spend all of our revenue on programs and staff. Our reserve account was finally restored this year.

When faced with a need to reduce staffing numbers, the District hoped that the resignations, leaves and retirements at the end of the year would accommodate the downsizing required. This was unfortunately not the case in Shoreline. In fact, our attrition rate this year was abnormally low with only a few staff providing notice that they did not intend to return.  A few districts around us, although reducing the number of staff members for 2009-2010, have been able to avoid a RIF with natural attrition.

Another difference between Shoreline and some other districts is that provisional (first and second year continuing) contracts under the Shoreline collective bargaining agreement must also receive a formal RIF notice. Without this difference, Shoreline would likely have been able to avoid all RIF notices, but still would have lost valued certificated staff.

Whatever the reasons, the District is sincerely distressed by the need to reduce its staff. The determination of those certificated staff to be retained was made on the basis of certification/endorsement, and seniority, in that order, according to the collective bargaining agreement with our teachers union. We hope over time to be able to offer our qualified staff who have been negatively impacted in this situation an opportunity to return.

Sincerely, Sue Walker