TPSD employees face layoffs

The Terrebonne School Board headquarters was bursting at its seams, as people lined the walls and scrounged for seats. While board members took their positions, whispers and chatter echoed into the halls.

Last Tuesday, Superintendent Philip Martin was given the go ahead to seek the board’s approval on a measure that could layoff numerous employees working for Terrebonne’s public school system.

Board members accepted the proposal to implement the policy known as RIF – or a reduction in force – by a 7-2 vote at last Wednesday’s routine board meeting. Clark Bonvillain and Rickie Pitre voted against using RIF.

In attempts to balance next year’s budget and fill an $11 million gap in funding, Martin will be looking to eliminate a plethora of part-time and full-time, non-teaching positions.

The number of employees that won’t be returning next year is still unknown. Full-time certified teachers and those who have achieved seniority likely will not be affected, as RIF goes after employees with the least amount of continued service within the school system.

As the budget is crafted throughout the remainder of this year, the details will become sharper.

“We need to look at the implementation of RIF, otherwise we have nothing,” said L.P. Bordelon, a representative from the 6th District. “If we don’t permit the superintendent to start working on a budget, he’s wasting his time, he cannot move.”

With major losses in sales tax revenues over the last year, the district has been fighting to stay afloat. “Our local economy has taken a significant hit,” said Martin. “When you start adding these numbers up, they become mind boggling.”

More than $1 million in additional costs have also been funneled to the parish from state officials.

The school board must figure out a way to dish out additional money for national board certified teachers and LEAP summer school operations, as those costs were passed down from the state level.

“It’s not the board’s fault. It’s not your fault. Be angry with the guys in Baton Rouge. They put these programs in and then don’t fund them,” explained Martin.

By law, the board is not allowed to mold a budget with a deficit. However, the decision to move into RIF wasn’t easy and it won’t be painless.

“If misery loves company, we got a lot of company,” said the superintendent.

“No matter what we do, [RIF] will impact the students. It’s not what we want to do, it’s what we have to do,” explained District 7 representative Roger DeHart. “We have to face reality here.”

Retirement pensions will also increase next year by about $5 million.

“Nobody in this room wants to do RIF,” touted Martin. “You get into peoples lives in a very negative way.”

Officials said steps have been taken to curtail the financial strain, but it hasn’t been enough. Last year, about 80 positions were left open to avoid spending on human resources. But “…no one felt it,” noted Martin.

“The board hasn’t been standing flatfooted, a doe in the headlights. The board has been in austerity mode,” he told the crowd of onlookers. Unfortunately, attrition – the act of not filling a position when it becomes available – didn’t keep up with the decrease in revenues, Martin said.

Now, officials will tackle a series of difficult decisions that could have severe consequences for some area workers.