In an attempt to make up for a $7 million deficit, the Tumwater School District (TSD) Board of Directors approved Reduced Educational Support Program Resolution (#2) for the 2025-26 school year, cutting 36 school-level positions and 91.7 paraeducator hours.
The board approved the first related resolution last month, limited to 27 position reductions from the district office, including the district’s support services team.
Resolution #1 is expected to bring $2.5 million in savings. The current Resolution #2 saves approximately $3.9 million, said TSD Assistant Superintendent Ben Rarick during the board’s meeting on Feb. 13.
“The effect of the (resolution) is not the immediate termination of the position or staff hours, but rather the elimination of same at the conclusion of the existing employment contract, which in most cases is the beginning of next school year,” Rarick wrote in a memo.
For the elementary level, 11 classroom teachers and one program teacher will be let go.
The district also terminated five middle school teacher positions, five high school classroom teachers and a teacher from the FRESH program
Teachers on special assignment were intentionally excluded from the first resolution and were addressed at the meeting; five of those positions will be terminated.
The cuts will also affect one counselor, one assistant principal, and 5.9 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) classified and non-represented staff positions.
Rarick stated the district staff continues to meet with labor partners to discuss the implementation of the provisions of the reduced educational program.
Aside from the positions identified in the plan, the district also identified one-year only, non-continuing positions that will not be renewed for the 2025-26 school year.
Those positions include school psychology interns, speech language pathology assistants and registered behavior technicians.
Paraeducators, represented by daily hours rather than head count, will experience a cut of 91.7 hours.
Basic education paraeducator hours will be cut to 57.7 hours, and special education paraeducator hours will be reduced to 34 hours.
Rarick shared that January became a cash-negative month for the school year, which led the district to get a loan from its Capital Projects fund to cover monthly financial obligations.
“So we expect to be negative this month at least through March, potentially through June. At this point, we are projecting to end the year positive, but that also is not a 100% guarantee,” Rarick said.
President DJ Brimer, of the Tumwater Education Association (TEA), read a letter during the public comment section of the TSD Board meeting and expressed the importance of educators.
“We are the Tumwater community, and our community for years has been defined upon our public schools. It's the core of who we are. Reducing staffing reduces our community,” Brimer said.
Dale Reeves, a TSD educator for 30 years and is currently with Black Hills High School, said he was “immediately” let go during an “impromptu meeting” with Rarick and Executive Director of Human Resources Wendy Bromley on Tuesday.
“I was brought in, I was told I'm immediately dismissed or let go of my position that I've held for 27 years as the activities coordinator and director,” Reeves said. “I asked the immediate question, ‘Why?,’ the response was ‘restructuring.’”
Reeves said the district should be held accountable for what it did, as it is “not best practice” because not one of the teachers, athletic director, principals nor students was asked for input regarding layoffs.
“Continuous learning in a caring and engaging environment — that's not what's happening at our school district,” Reeves said.
Tumwater Association of Paraprofessionals President Jennifer Monson, Tumwater Office Professionals Association President Kristina Dilworth and Brimer penned a letter to the board regarding the cuts.
Thursday, February 13, 2025
To the Tumwater School District Board of Directors:
"We know staffing is the greatest expense for the Tumwater School District. The cost is an investment in the growth of our Tumwater students and community. School districts cannot operate without staff who provide the educational programs and support for students. Program and staffing decisions made by the Board and the District are value statements which impact students and the community directly in very real and tangible ways. The District website states “Each day our staff of just over 800 employees carries out our mission to provide ‘Continuous Student Learning in a Caring, Engaging Environment.’ Our academic focus is to help each child succeed by setting achievement goals and then using data to closely monitor progress and adjust instruction. To do this, we encourage and support staff collaboration and professional development. We strive to create a safe, supportive environment in which all students feel connected and valued while they grow academically.” The District cannot accomplish the Mission and Focus, as stated, by reducing staffing. It takes dedicated staff to provide “Continuous Student Learning in a Caring, Engaging Environment.” The reduction of programs and staffing in the District will negatively impact the ability to monitor student progress and adjust instruction. The reduction of programs and staffing in the District will negatively impact collaboration and professional development. The reduction of programs and staffing in the District will negatively impact student safety and support. The reduction of programs and staffing in the District will negatively impact students feeling connected and valued. The reduction of programs and staffing in the District will negatively impact the ability of students to grow academically. These impacts will be felt in devastating ways at every school within the District. That is why we, the Tumwater Association of Paraprofessionals, Tumwater Office Professionals Association, and Tumwater Education Association Presidents, urge the Board to decline Reduction in Educational Program Resolution #2 and search for other ways to balance the budget. Staffing is the greatest expense for the Tumwater School District. Staffing is also the greatest investment in our Tumwater students and community. We stand together in solidarity before you today as we rise jointly in opposition to the reduction of programs and staffing in the Tumwater School District."
President Jennifer Monson
Tumwater Association of Paraprofessionals
President Kristina Dilworth
Tumwater Office Professionals Association
President DJ Brimer
Tumwater Education Association
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OlyBlues
No one is saying the contributions of the classified and certificated staff at TSD is anything less than stellar and that staff are hardworking. What the district must do is balance their budget. It is unfortunate the Tumwater Education Association was not in the mood to "learn and grow together" when the previous Superintendent repeatedly stated that their demands for double digit salary increases was neither affordable or sustainable for the district. The TEA pressed on, threatened to strike, and eventually ran the Superintendent off and received their huge raises. They were unreasonable in accepting modest raises. Well, this is the result. Districts cannot overcommit themselves like TSD did. TEA should take a long hard look in the mirror. These layoffs are occurring are a direct result of funding the big raises your membership demanded.
Wednesday, February 19 Report this
OffWhite
Oddly, last night the school district chose to spend their budget on a lawsuit, adopting an anti trans athlete policy that violates state education anti discrimination mandates. I'm pretty sure this board would have staunchly defended against integration back in the day, their position statements could have been lifted straight from that era. I get it, conservatives want a minority they can crush, abuse, and freely discriminate against, but the Orwellian double speak, trying to frame it as being about student safety, is ludicrous.
Friday, February 28 Report this