CLAREMORE — Claremore Public Schools will reduce its teaching staff by 25 in an effort to cut costs ahead of next school year, district officials said.
The decision was announced at the school board meeting Monday.
Most of the positions are already vacant, Claremore Superintendent Mike McClaren said.
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The district initiated a hiring freeze about halfway through the school year in anticipation.
“We’ve prepared for the worst, trying not to upset the balance of things too much,” he said.
The district has 300 certified teachers, so the reduction represents almost 10 percent.
The district is also reducing non-teaching staff, McClaren said. It will affect 20 to 25 positions, he said, and will also be handled primarily through attrition.
Officials said the moves were made necessary due to a midyear cut in state aid, which will leave the district with $776,000 less going into next year.
Most of the absorbed teaching positions are in grades six through 12, McClaren said, and will result in slightly larger class sizes.
McClaren, who has been at Claremore for 17 of his 30 years as a superintendent, said he knows better than to think the tough times are over.
“I’ve done this way too many years, and I have a feeling we’re looking at more (state) revenue failures. We’re not out of the woods yet.”
