Oak Ridge Board of Education members approve a budget Thursday. From left are board member Dan DiGregorio, Parliamentarian Jenny Richter, Chair Keys Fillauer, Treasurer Angi Agle, and Vice Chair Bob Eby.
The five-member Oak Ridge Board of Education unanimously approved a balanced budget Thursday that cuts some staff positions but restores reading specialists.
The staff reductions include a technology technician, maintenance staff member, district-wide custodian, the full-time equivalent of 6.5 teaching assistants, and some teaching positions.
The school system’s Career Technical Education will also be reorganized, Oak Ridge Board of Education Chairman Keys Fillauer said after a half-hour special meeting Thursday evening. CTE Director Gail Ward will retire, and so will her secretary.
Earlier this month, Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Tom Bailey said the equivalent of 9.7 full-time teaching positions could be cut to balance the budget.
But some of the teaching staff reductions would come from not filling five positions left open at Oak Ridge High School after employees retired, school board members said. Enrollment at the high school is expected to be down in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
The school system’s budget, which includes $50.6 million in the general purpose fund, will be presented to city officials Friday.
Municipal officials have said they expect to give the schools the same amount as last year, or roughly $14.6 million.
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