Tacoma Schools cuts 19 administrative positions amid budget deficit



TACOMA, Wash. -- It's been almost six weeks since Tacoma Schools agreed on a 14 percent raise for teachers after a week-long strike.

Now, in order to balance the budget, Tacoma Schools has rolled out its first phase of cuts, which amount to $10 million.

The district has cut 19 administrative positions, with another seven on the chopping block as part of the first phase.

Of those 19 cuts, five people will fill vacancies elsewhere in the school district, and eight people were moved to non-administrative positions.

More layoffs are expected throughout the school year, though officials haven't detailed yet how many or which positions will be impacted. No teachers will be laid off, the school district said.

The teacher strike and subsequent pay raise created a $23.4 million budget deficit.

"Certainly it’s not anything to celebrate when people’s jobs get eliminated, but it’s my impression ... that (district officials) are being very thoughtful with how they go about it," Tacoma Education Association representative Angel Morton told The News Tribune.

Positions that were eliminated during the first round of budget cuts include coordinator of community partnerships, student teacher and university liaison, public information assistant and sustainability manager, among several others.