The Litchfield Elementary School District is considering reducing up to 27 teaching positions as part of efforts to address a projected budget shortfall.
The district is exploring multiple other options to preserve the budget, including reductions in district office expenses, class size adjustments in specialized programs, and staffing changes in both certified and classified support roles. Full-day kindergarten and other benefits remain under review.
Chief Financial Officer Michael J. Vaughn, CPA, presented proposals showing the potential impact of increasing class sizes.
Under one scenario, tightening staffing and enrollment changes would account for eight teaching positions, with nine more positions affected by raising the target class size. A more aggressive proposal could affect 27 teachers, with 19 positions tied to class size adjustments.
Vaughn said the plans aim to “narrow the range of ‘appropriate’ sized classrooms” while keeping average class sizes closer to the district’s current board-approved targets.
The board spent much of Monday’s meeting debating the trade-offs between larger class sizes and possible adjustments to teacher pay, reducing 2% raises to 1.5%.
Some members emphasized that student achievement remains the district’s top priority.
“Student success and student achievement has to come first, and I think that if it’s this or the class sizes, that’s where I choose,” said board member Michele Wallace.
Board member Ryan Owens highlighted the difficult balance administrators face between classroom size and compensation. “I’ve gotten two messages from teachers that would prefer smaller classrooms to an (pay) increase… We’ve talked about some people are going to want smaller classrooms. This decision is going to affect everybody,” he said.
After the over four hour-long meeting, no final decisions were made. The conversation will continue at a follow-up meeting the district officials are attempting to schedule for next week. There, additional budget strategies and public input are expected to be considered.
Visit lesd79.org for more information.
James Goldmeer Reporter | Goodyear & Litchfield Park
Meet James James Goldmeer joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2024, starting their career as a reporter in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
Community: James grew up in the West Valley, calling Avondale home and going to school in Glendale and Peoria. Returning to the community after university, James plans to get involved in everything arts and culture, and civil rights.
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