For Bellevue teachers, the next few weeks are a waiting game.

By law, the Bellevue School District has until May 15 to make a final decision and notify the teachers and other staff about possible job losses for the 2009/2010 school year.

“The big questions now on the minds of the school board, district administrators, certificated and classified staff and parents have to do with the state budget reductions and the implications for Bellevue,” said Karen Clark, the interim superintendent for the Bellevue School District.

According to assistant superintendent Ann Oxrieder, the district is trying to get a firm handle on retirements and the number of teachers planning to return next year. As it stands, 90 non-continuing contracts will expire, some for part-time teachers.

“We still have to make some reductions in 2009/2010 and we had a strike this fall and settlement with the teachers,” Clark explained at the April 21 school board meeting. “We talked a lot about how that will effect the second year of our reduction plan.”

The original 2009/2010 reduction plan put in place by the district was designed with the goal of restoring the fund balance over three years. The plan took into account support for the new terms of the teacher contract settlement following the strike and included the anticipation of a 4.1 percent cost-of-living allowance (COLA) from the state.

In January, the Legislature declined to grant the district money for the cost of living increase next year.

“We are at a place now where there is no COLA for next year,” Clark explained. “Bellevue, because we have a seven-period day and because we have smaller class sizes, employs more teachers than the state believes we need to have to provide a program for 16,800 students.”

Clark noted that when a district has more teachers than what the state funds, it has to use local money to pay for the salary increase for those additional teachers, classified staff, and any staff above the state ratios.

The revised reduction plan for 2009/2010 school year estimates a reduction of 25 certificated instructional staff, of which 2.6 will come from the central office. An additional reduction of one administrative position and three classified positions are also estimated to take place.

“Prior to getting any information from the Legislature in January, we had already thought that we would be talking about reducing 12 certificated FTE (full-time teachers) next year,” Clark said. “At the time of the strike we talked about that number being more like 20, not as many in 2008/2009, but getting close to that because of the strike settlement and the salary increase.”

To determine whether this 25 FTE reduction of certificated staff can be accomplished without a formal Reduction in Force, the district will first attempt to reduce all staff on non-continuing contracts.

“Expiring non-continuing contracts do not count as reduction in force, since these were never permanent employees,” explained Oxrieder. “Those teachers with non-continuing contracts who have a recommendation from their principal and area directors will go into a pool for potential hiring.”

The reductions made in the springtime may not be final.

According to the district, a number of those teachers could be rehired if spots open due to an increase in employee turnover, rise in student enrollment next fall, or individual schools adjusting their operating costs.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425.453.4602.