About 280 employees in the Round Rock Independent School District began learning this afternoon that they will no longer be employed next school year. RRISD is facing an estimated $60 million reduction in state funding.
Districts in Texas are required to notify contracted employees within 45 days of the end of the school year if they are losing their jobs. Austin ISD, the largest school district in Central Texas, has said it is eliminating more than 1,100 positions. RRISD is the second largest district in the region.
“This is a very difficult time for our district and it weighs heavily on my heart to lose hundreds of excellent employees,” Round Rock superintendent Jesús Chávez said in a press release.
Here's the breakdown of job cuts with descriptions from RRISD.
- 234 probationary classroom teachers (Includes employees who have daily contact with the same group of students, such as core-content, elective and certain special education teachers. Reductions obtained by adjusting the student-teacher ratio.)
- 19 instructional support/enrichment positions (Includes employees who enhance or support the education of students, such as interventionists, dyslexia teachers, talented and gifted teachers and teachers that support special education students.)
- 5 central office instructional support positions (Includes employees who work directly with teachers to enhance the instruction provided to students, such as instructional technology specialists and instructional coaches.)
- 22 campus support positions (Includes employees who assist in the daily operation of campuses, such as counselors, nurses and assistant principals.)
The Round Rock School Trustees need to approve the layoffs for them to take effect. They will meet next in April, and their meetings are streamed live online.
