The Lake Station School Board laid off four teachers and accepted resignations from six other teachers Wednesday as cost-cutting continued in the small district reeling from last year’s voter rejection of the continuation of its property tax referendum.
“It’s really difficult to see all these teachers leave, but we wish them good luck,” said Superintendent Thomas Cripliver.
The teachers who resigned were Julie Mills, Ambrosia Peterson, Brook Starrick, Danielle Paetsch, Tammy Tiede, and Fabiola Jimenez.
The board laid off Dan Madden, Laryssa Vaclavik, Judy Mitre and Rebecca Henderson.
“It’s horrible, but the number would be so much larger, if we didn’t have the resignations,” said school board president Greg Tenorio. “Teachers are leaving because of the uncertainty… It’s because the referendum failed.”
Cripliver said the teachers who resigned won’t be replaced. He said the district was looking at laying off 10 teachers, but because of the resignations, the number decreased to four.
He said the cuts and resignations saved the district $745,000.
Wednesday’s round of cuts marked the end of reductions for this year, Cripliver said.
But if the referendum fails again, the district could be forced to discontinue bus service completely in February 2025.
The school district’s bid for the renewal of an eight-year $1.3 million property tax referendum last November fell short by 14 votes.
School officials plan to try again in November to convince voters to back the referendum that would enable it to restore most personnel and operations.
Last month, the board voted to keep students in remote learning at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays as it grapples with the funding cuts impacting transportation.
The board also laid off 37 employees in May, including all 19 of its classroom paraprofessionals. It also reduced staff who sponsor extra-curricular programs including the yearbook and 27 other programs and clubs. Those cuts saved $635,160.
“It’s not a decision that we want to make at all,” said board member Kevin Music. “It’s a difficult decision to make. We don’t take it lightly,” he said, adding he has four children in the district.
Tenorio took issue with what he labeled as misleading critical information on social media concerning Polk School, which closed in 2017. The district is leasing it to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana for $1,500 a month.
“It’s a program we desperately need in this city,” said Tenorio, defending the rental cost.
“People who put out false information on social media, it just angers me… “I wish they would just come here and ask questions.”
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.