Ottawa Hills schools to lay off three support-staff employees

1/18/2011

Three support-staff positions in the Ottawa Hills schools will be eliminated Feb. 1 for budgetary reasons following a vote Tuesday evening by the board of education.

“We see no recourse other than taking this action, and we do so with some serious regret,” board president Gary Wilson said before the 4-0 vote.

The positions to be cut include a paraprofessional, a secretary, and a maintenance worker. The specific jobs were not listed, but Sandi Leigh, the paraprofessional at the Ottawa Hills High School foreign language lab, said her job is one of the positions eliminated.

District treasurer Bradley Browne said the three cuts will save the district about $40,000 for the rest of the school year.

Superintendent of Schools Keith Miller said that the cuts will likely result in “reassignments,” since actual layoffs will be based on seniority. Mr. Wilson said it was possible those laid off could find other work within the school district, possibly as substitute teachers.