Dayton school board adds meeting tonight amid layoff debate

Dayton's school board has called a special meeting for today as the district continues to weigh proposed layoffs and staffing changes.

President Adil Baguirov said the school board will take care of its strategic planning session this Tuesday, freeing up the Dec. 6 meeting for more public comment time and board voting on layoffs.

"Since the (reduction in force) is a serious issue, and public wants to speak – despite 50 already speaking at the last meeting – it necessitates its own meeting … to have enough time to accommodate public comment with board deliberations and voting," Baguirov said.

Today’s special meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Dayton Public Schools headquarters, 115 S. Ludlow St. downtown. The Dec. 6 meeting is also slated for a 5 p.m. start, at the same site.

There was some confusion about public participation at the two meetings. At noon Friday, the school district sent a notice announcing Tuesday’s special meeting, adding that “members of the public will be permitted to address the board at this meeting.” But later Friday, Baguirov said only the Dec. 6 meeting would have time for public comment.

Dayton Public Schools already laid off 19 central office employees on Nov. 8 and had 27 teachers switch classrooms to avoid layoff, because of declining enrollment in some schools and grades.

On Nov. 17, the school board was scheduled to vote on dozens of other layoffs and personnel moves, but after 300 people packed the meeting, the board decided to delay those decisions until Dec. 6.

The eventual votes will decide the fate of at least 42 teachers, classroom paraprofessionals, mental health technicians, plus clerical, building trades and operations employees. Twenty-one of those workers had been scheduled for layoff, 12 were to be reduced to substitute roles, and nine were changing assignments, some to lower-paying jobs.

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