WEBSTER GROVES — Dozens of teachers and staff in the Webster Groves School District are expected to receive buyout offers Friday after a special school board meeting to address budget shortfalls amid declining enrollment.
±«±Ê¶Ù´¡°Õ·¡:ÌýSuperintendent won’t support buyouts for teachers
The terms of the early retirement incentive program, including eligibility and payouts, were still being worked out Thursday, according to district spokesman Derek Duncan.
An estimated 55 certified teachers and administrators and an unknown number of staff will qualify for the buyouts based on years of service, district leaders said at the board’s Jan. 25 meeting. Webster Groves’ maximum salary of nearly $103,000 for the most experienced teachers ranked eighth out of about 550 school districts in the state last year, according to the Missouri National Education Association.
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There are 725 employees in the district including 315 certified teachers, according to the . Enrollment is 4,172 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, down from 4,500 five years ago. School revenue is tied to enrollment, which is expected to continue its downward trend nationwide primarily because of declining birth rates.
About 15 teachers took advantage when buyouts were last offered in Webster Groves in 2016 for a savings of more than $400,000, district leaders said. The Kirkwood School District has an ongoing early retirement plan for cost savings that 18 employees accepted in 2022-2023.
Webster Groves board secretary Allen Todd said he was concerned about the potential impact of a buyout on staffing.
“A big outflux of quality teachers at one time makes me a little bit nervous so I’ll just say I definitely have that reservation,†Todd said. “If people can and want to retire they absolutely should. ... But I just worry a little bit about a big exodus at one time and trying to replace all that valuable experience and relationships that they have with our students and community.â€
One parent who spoke at the last meeting attributed the enrollment decline to COVID-era frustrations with public schooling.
“I’m glad the board appears to finally be recognizing the deficit environment that it faces, previously that was dismissed as misinformation when it was brought to the community’s attention,†said Justin Hauke, who is also a former school board candidate. “It’s not a financial mismanagement issue, though there are budget priorities that could be better addressed. It’s an operational issue that COVID-induced departures have not returned at the pace of other school districts or the state average.â€
School districts nationwide are bracing for a budget crunch as the unprecedented infusion of pandemic relief funds start to dry up. Many districts used a portion of the money to hire reading and math specialists, long-term substitutes and other staff members.
The ongoing and widespread enrollment decline will only exacerbate the financial crisis, school leaders say. Since the fall of 2019, public schools have lost 5,500 students in ºüÀêÊÓƵ County and nearly 3,000 in ºüÀêÊÓƵ city.
Statewide, public school enrollment has fallen by 20,000 students, or 2%, in the last four years to about 860,000, according to the Missouri education department.
Hours before a special school board meeting to vote on staff buyouts, the superintendent said buyout restrictions wouldn't give the district enough time to hire replacements before next school year.