Jefferson Parish school system notifies hundreds of employees their positions are eliminated

The Jefferson Parish public school system Wednesday sent notices to about 500 employees telling them their positions are getting eliminated as part of an ongoing reorganization push. The 200 central office administrative workers and 300 teachers from schools that recently closed have not been laid off, said Acting Superintendent James Meza. Instead, they were notified their slots are expiring and told they can apply for other jobs in the system.

Meza said another 1,000 central office employees received notice that their job descriptions are changing.

“It’s starting now,” Meza said about an administration overhaul meant to reorient the central office as a support service for schools instead of an oversight entity.

While the reorganization aims to achieve reform goals, such as giving school sites more decision-making power, it coincides with a need to cut the budget. An expected deficit for 2012-13 could rise as high as $30 million, Meza said. Layoffs could be coming over the summer.

http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2012/05/jefferson_parish_school_system_19.html#incart_river