MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Moses Lake School District announced another round of layoffs, planning to reduce its staff by 85 positions across various departments. This follows the district's earlier issuance of non-renewal notices to 100 teachers and dozens of support staff. The layoffs are a result of an $11 million accounting error.
The Moses Lake School District is scrambling to find areas where spending can be cut after discovering the accounting error. The district initially believed it had $11 million more than it did, leading to a $20 million budget shortfall.
So far, spending cuts have come at the cost of district jobs. .Now, the school district plans to reduce its workforce by another 85 positions, impacting classified staff. Classified staff are district employees in positions that don’t require certification, including paraprofessionals, office staff, custodians, and transportation services.
In a statement, the district acknowledged the impact these reductions will have on the lives of staff and students. It said these steps are essential to ensure its financial sustainability.
In total, the district will have reduced its workforce by 215 positions. However, 100 of these are non-renewal notices that may be canceled if other budget cuts allow for teachers to be retained.
The district also indicated that more reductions are expected pending labor negotiations and restructuring of non-union positions. Depending on contracts, these cuts will go into effect at the end of this school year or the end of the summer.
KREM 2 has yet to receive a comment from the Moses Lake Education Association about these additional layoffs. We will share their response once received.
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