CMS Layoff Update: More Than 1,000 Jobs Spared

More than two-thirds of 1,500 projected job cuts to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have been averted by better-than-expected state and county budgets, board Chair Eric Davis said Wednesday night. About 1,050 educators, including prekindergarten teachers and elementary school teacher assistants, will be spared layoffs in 2011-12, he said. The Bright Beginnings pre-K program will continue to serve about 3,000 disadvantaged 4-year-olds, CMS officials said. Leaders announced last week that teachers, counselors and librarians would escape layoffs. All told, cuts to the CMS budget are only about half as bad as initially anticipated. Davis made the announcement before the board went into closed session for almost three hours to talk about replacing Superintendent Peter Gorman. Afterward, Davis said only that the board took "first steps" toward naming an interim and will report more at the June 28 meeting. "There's no news to report until we name an interim superintendent," he said. Chief Academic Officer Ann Clark and Chief Operating Officer Hugh Hattabaugh have been mentioned as likely candidates for the interim post and/or the permanent job. The board must decide whether to name an interim who won't apply for the top job; some believe that discourages other applicants. Davis said the legislature's override of the governor's budget veto gave CMS leaders a clear picture of state cuts, which are $25 million to $30 million less than the district prepared for. In January, Gorman unveiled a preliminary plan based on $100 million in cuts to the $1 billion-plus budget. That plan cut about 1,500 jobs, including 600 teachers.