REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) — On Tuesday night, Reynoldsburg parents, students and community members heard from the school district’s Board of Education and superintendent for the first time since 51 teachers learned they were being laid off.
Multiple Reynoldsburg City Schools board members addressed the cuts, saying they had to happen because of the failed November levy.
During the meeting, some parents and students expressed anger and disappointment over how the district handled the cuts – namely, how teachers were notified in the middle of the school day last Thursday.
“We didn’t have to take the teachers out of their classes and we didn’t have to make them so vulnerable and put them in the spotlight in front of their students, and I just think that was messed up,” Reynoldsburg student Jasmine Floyd said.
Reynoldsburg School Board President Angela Abram said it had to be done during school hours.
“There were people who were, you know, concerned that it occurred during the day, but it was to be done during the staff’s contracted hours,”Abram said. “It was not a public thing. It was done in private, in privacy and with dignity.”
Reynoldsburg City Schools Superintendent Dr. Tracy Reed did not say much about the cuts.
“I always say there’s two sides to every story and in the middle, there’s another story, so we just have to make sure that we’re being compassionate toward each other regarding some of the things that we’re doing,” Reed said.
Abram emphasized that staff had to be reduced because of the levy failure.
“We are committed to providing the best education we can with the financial constraints that we have, and we are a community,” Abram said. “We’re going to do this together and we’re going to get through it.”
Floyd said she and her peers understand that cuts needed to be made because of the failed levy, but she wants more open dialogue. She said her mother has still not received anything from Reynoldsburg addressing the layoffs, saying parents only know because of their students and social media.
“I don’t think there was very much communication and if they did consider that to be communication, they should have went about it better,” Floyd said.
On top of the 51 teachers who were laid off last week, Reynoldsburg has already announced cuts to five school social worker positions, three central office workers and five elementary assistant principal positions. These all go into effect next school year.