the pre-RIF notice notice

Today, Olympia School district employees received this notice from Beth Scouller in Human Resources:

Dear Teachers and other certificated employees:

I am writing to let you know that on Monday night, April 21, the School Board will be considering a motion that allows the District to carry out a reduction in force (RIF) process. As you may have heard, the District is facing a budget shortfall of more than $2 million for the 2008-09 school year and is looking at many different options to close that budget deficit, including reductions in programs and staff.

At this time, we are not certain as to whether a formal RIF process will be necessary or not. My goal is to establish and maintain regular communication with you so we can try to alleviate the anxiety and uncertainty that accompany prospective cuts to our staff and programs.

Approximately 85% of our funding supports personnel, so it's no surprise that, facing steep cuts, the District has to consider the RIF process. The motion before the Board this coming Monday will doubtless pass, because without it, the District would be legally unable to pursue any personnel reductions for the coming year.

Those of us who survived the last RIF notice--I was the last standing secondary English teacher in the District in '04--hope that this early communication is, if nothing else, a sign that the chaos and confusion that reigned then aren't repeated now.

If we do get to the point where a RIF is necessary, you can be sure I'll blog all about it, especially focusing on the changes instituted since last time.