AISD officials say if the state budget proposed at the capital last month goes through , the district will be at least 94-million dollars short next year. Friday, the superintendent recommended cutting eight percent of the work-force, 1,017 jobs of the current AISD workforce of nearly 12,000. Here's the breakdown:
523 Teachers
170 Professionals
275 Classified
49 Administrators
AISD reports those positions total $53.64 million in salary and benefits.
"It is a very difficult thing, because I'm also the same person who recruited these people," said Michael Houser, AISD's Chief Capital Officer.
It was also difficult for those at Education Austin. The AISD employee labor union says it knew cuts were coming, but not this many.
"When we read the letter we were like, 'Oh my God, a thousand versus 497,' which was approved on January 24th," said Rae Nwosu, the Co-President of Education Austin.
Houser says the district is preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. He says AISD has 500 - 600 teaching vacancies every year and if employees are willing to be flexible, things could work out as they did in 2003.
"Six hundred and 25 positions were eliminated from this district in 2003, and when we finished, we had less than 20 people that did not have positions to move to," said Houser.
"Six hundred back. Then, we had 800 openings," said Nwosu. "If we're laying off over a thousand, the numbers just don't mix."
Nwosu says she's aware all state districts are on a strict timeline to get their budgets prepared for the upcoming school year. But she says the most prudent thing to do is wait on the legislature to see how much money will be available.
"It's going to be very difficult to lay people off and they say, 'Oh my gosh, the legislature gave us money, Perry got the money, come back,'" said Nwosu.
Parents we talked to aren't placing blame, but they're not encouraged either.
"I don't think anybody can look at that situation and say that it's not going to impact the quality of education that the kids in AISD are getting," said Todd Reed, whose children recently graduated from AISD.
Unlike other districts, AISD will not offer retirement stipends or other incentives.
The board of trustees will make its formal recommendations at its meeting at the end of this month.
