{"id":778,"date":"2026-06-10T17:44:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T17:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=778"},"modified":"2026-06-10T17:44:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T17:44:47","slug":"wallingford-swarthmore-may-lay-off-teachers-and-increase-class-sizes-amid-tight-budget-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=778","title":{"rendered":"Wallingford-Swarthmore may lay off teachers and increase class sizes amid tight budget outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is planning to reevaluate class sizes next school year, and layoffs are a possibility if the district can\u2019t trim its budget in other ways, its superintendent said at a meeting Tuesday.<\/p>\n

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At a school board finance committee meeting, Russell Johnston said that with the district\u2019s expenses projected to rise next year at double the rate of revenues, the district will have to continue to reduce staffing, even after a reorganization plan this year that eliminated about 20 positions and losing another four through attrition.<\/p>\n

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The district will also be looking at which classes have the smallest enrollments, Johnston said, and might \u201cscale back\u201d on certain offerings.<\/p>\n

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Johnston said cuts would be necessary. Otherwise, Wallingford-Swarthmore would be on pace to use more than 30% of its reserves to balance the budget, he said.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s what the superintendent said about possible cuts coming to the affluent district:<\/p>\n

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Retirement incentives, attrition and layoffs<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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District leaders have said Wallingford-Swarthmore cannot sustain its current staffing levels, which grew significantly in recent years.<\/p>\n

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Of the projected $6 million growth in the district\u2019s $106 million budget next year, nearly $4 million is coming from salaries and benefits for the district\u2019s 541 employees, officials said.<\/p>\n

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Laying out options for cutting those costs, Johnston \u2014 who became superintendent last year \u2014 said the district could offer staff an incentive to retire early, though he wasn\u2019t sure whether that would generate enough savings.<\/p>\n

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The district will also evaluate whether it needs to fill positions that become vacant as someone retires or resigns, Johnston said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf we do have to invoke layoffs,\u201d Johnston said, the savings likely won\u2019t be as great as with reducing staff through attrition, because more junior and less costly employees will be laid off due to union seniority protections.<\/p>\n

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Board members voiced concern about rising benefits costs in particular: Prescription costs for district employees are projected to grow by 50% next year, a $1.8 million increase.<\/p>\n

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Johnston, who noted that benefits are part of a collective bargaining agreement that doesn\u2019t expire until 2028, said the district was in \u201congoing dialogue\u201d with its teachers union.<\/p>\n

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Bigger class sizes, fewer offerings<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Johnston said the district would be looking \u201chard at class size and enrollment\u201d as it tries to find areas to cut.<\/p>\n

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While the district has an \u201camazing array\u201d of offerings for students, it could \u201dperhaps scale back where we don\u2019t have enrollment to justify that,” Johnston said.<\/p>\n

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He didn\u2019t offer specifics, but said the district would be performing a class size analysis at the start of the coming school year.<\/p>\n

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Reduced capital projects<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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District officials indicated Tuesday they intend to move forward with a reduced scope for the planned Strath Haven high school renovation \u2014 down from $99 million to less than $70 million \u2014 with a focus on fixes to keep the building \u201csafe, warm and dry,\u201d and fewer interior renovations.<\/p>\n

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The district will also be looking to cut back other aspects of its capital plan, which board members said would reduce a $1.5 million increase in debt service projected for next year.<\/p>\n

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Parental concerns<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Some parents have started to raise concerns about the budget cuts.<\/p>\n

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Lindsay Doyle, whose children attend Nether Providence Elementary, said she was dismayed to learn that class sizes at her children\u2019s school would be increasing in fourth and fifth grades due to the district not filling two teaching positions.<\/p>\n

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Doyle, who said class sizes would grow from about 20 students to 26 or 27, is worried that core instruction will suffer.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s no longer about administrative inefficiencies and discretionary spending,\u201d Doyle said. \u201cWhen I see we\u2019re now cutting back on teachers, that\u2019s when I\u2019m like, red flag.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Superintendent Russell Johnston said the district’s expenses are projected to rise next year at double the rate of revenues, even after a reorganization that eliminated 20 positions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nWallingford-Swarthmore may lay off teachers and increase class sizes amid tight budget outlook - Corporate Movers USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=778\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wallingford-Swarthmore may lay off teachers and increase class sizes amid tight budget outlook - 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