More than 100 jobs could be eliminated in the Austin Independent School District if the board declares a financial emergency at its meeting in late February.
Board members gathered for one of their regular meetings Monday night.
Superintendent Meria Carstarphen asked the board to declare a financial exigency. That type of declaration is made when there's an immediate or impending financial crisis.
It would allow the district to take action now by eliminating positions and reducing personnel expenses.
Board members knew they were going to face something like this. With a nearly $20 million shortfall, eliminating positions could make a big difference.
In all, about 114 positions would get cut, whether or not the employee is under contract or not. These are positions that are considered duplicate or unnecessary.
With tighter budget restraints expected in 212 -- when stimulus dollars run out -- the district's chief financial officer says the district needs to start acting and saving now.
“I am positioning myself and trying to compel the board to brace itself for a potential reality that the fiscal (crisis) could get worse. Will this be the last structural deficit? No, not until our revenue recovers in a way that allows it to at least meet the pace of the expenditures,” said Nicole Conley-Abram, AISD Chief Financial Officer.
The positions that would be eliminated would be kept mostly to administrative positions.
The cuts could come as soon as this spring. Some of the money saved would go directly to individual campuses.
The district said it's also looking at implementing self-insurance programs, pre-paying debt and following an aggressive energy plan to save money.
The board will meet again on February 22 to announce whether the job cuts are approved.
