Jobs on line as district considers budget cuts

By Sanjay Bhatt
Seattle Times staff reporter

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About 40 full-time equivalent positions at Seattle Public Schools are on the chopping block to help close a projected $9 million budget shortfall, district officials said yesterday.

Fifteen of those central-office positions support teaching and learning, including community education, student health, student career development, teacher and principal training, and data analysis. District officials said their priority was to minimize the impact on classrooms in the 2004-05 year.

"We're looking under every rock for every dollar," said Finance Director Stephen Nielsen.

The facilities department could lose 12 positions, including two in enrollment planning and some in custodial services, said John Vacchiery, director of facilities. Already, schools get cleaned only every three days, so the cuts likely would occur at the John Stanford Center, the district headquarters.

"We are seriously considering the level of cleaning in this building and asking adults in this building to do more" to clean up after themselves, Vacchiery said.

The human-resources department would forgo holding its job fair, cut back in employment services and stop sponsoring retirement parties. One customer-service position also would be eliminated.

The technology department would eliminate up to eight positions, including those who operate the district television studio.

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com

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