Manatee County Schools to cut 150 staff positions

The Manatee County school district will eliminate more than 150 full-time staff positions for the 2013-14 school year in the aftermath of a $3.4 million budget deficit last fall.

According to Bill Vogel, the leader of new Superintendent Rick Mills’ transition team, the cuts would save $11 million.

“This alone has the potential of stabilizing the budget,” Vogel said.

The cuts include eliminating roughly 95 teachers, plus custodians, teacher aides and speech therapists.

Vogel expects most of those cut to be reassigned to different positions within the district.

The district savings plan cuts back by adjusting class sizes and changing student and teacher ratios.

The Class Size Amendment says classes should have no more than 18 students for Pre-K through third grade, 22 students in grades four through eight and 25 students in grades nine through 12.

The plan also adds 22 technology assistants in elementary and middle schools, Vogel said.