In anticipation of up to $20 million in budget cuts for FY17, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah A. Gist is recommending a reduction in certified and non-certified positions in the district’s central office effective July 1, 2016. The Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education is scheduled to consider and vote on the recommendation on April 25, 2016.
“We will do everything possible to protect our teachers and students while we manage these significant cuts to education,” said Gist. “Our team is evaluating all of our options to reduce expenses for next year, and we are already offering early retirement and attrition incentives. We are now recommending a staff reorganization that consolidates or eliminates central office positions. While the recommended restructure will generate cost savings and lead to increased efficiency, the unfortunate reality is that the proposal involves the deletion or defunding of 172 positions and consolidating these responsibilities – and others – into only 66 positions. This means that many individuals and their families will be negatively affected and services to schools will be impacted. These were incredibly difficult decisions to make, and they will affect everyone in the Tulsa Public Schools family.”
“The proposed reductions include positions at every salary level,” said Chief Human Capital Officer Talia Shaull. “We have had one-on-one conversations with each affected employee, and we are committed to providing any supports we can to ease the transition. These reductions will generate $2.7 million in cost-savings to help us offset our expected FY17 budget reductions from the state and free up $1 million dollars in federal funding that can be distributed to the schools.” Shaull said that the district will not eliminate any site-based positions at this time, but it expects that there will be additional cuts in the coming weeks.