Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – 70 positions is the goal, but the Syracuse City School District hasn’t gotten there yet. The district needs to eliminate that many positions to address budget issues, but wants to do it without laying anyone off.
Unfortunately, retirements are way down. Normally, by now, there are about 40 openings due to retirements. But this year, only about 15 teachers have officially submitted their paperwork.
“We’re seeing the numbers been low, no one’s notifying anybody,” said Anne Marie Voutsinas, President of the Syracuse Teachers Association.
Voutsinas says the lack of retirements is because of the economy.
“If your spouse has lost his or her job, I think that might have effect on whether you decide to retire,” Voutsinas said.
NYSUT Union is helping people as they deal with everything they need to know about retirement. They will show you health care and investments plus locally, they have workshops to help too.
“If one of your retirement accounts have really lost money, people may want to give it time to recoup,” Voutsinas said.
If enough people don’t retire, the district will have to find other ways to free up those 70 positions without laying anyone off.
“I know the superintendent has been adamant about nobody or a few as possible are out on the street,” Voutsinas said.
Unlike many other districts, Syracuse doesn't make teachers decide by the end of the school year if they're coming back. Instead, they have until 30 days before school starts. So the district won't know until August where it stands.
The district is still compiling the retirement numbers and the superintendent has made a commitment not to lay anyone off. We’re told they are also revisiting other areas to try to make the numbers work. But they wouldn't go into more detail than that.
