More cuts at La Marque ISD

LA MARQUE — School trustees approved laying off two more employees Tuesday, bringing the total number of teachers and staff trimmed from the district this year to 50.

The cuts have come as the district wrestles to make up a projected $2.5 million budget shortfall, which had been close to $6 million before the first round of terminations.

The school district also is eyeing the possible closing of an elementary school campus and converting it into a community center. One of the campuses under consideration is Simms Elementary, which has a deep connection to the education of black students during the era of segregation. The possibility that the school would become something else was the focus of discussion during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

A social worker and a probationary employee were the latest approved to be let go as part of the district’s ongoing reduction in force. Last month, board members approved declaring a state of financial exigency.

The board already approved cutting 48 jobs — 41 probationary teachers and seven other staffers — for an estimated savings of $3.3 million. Even with the cuts the district has made, school officials still face a deficit of $1.13 million.

All of the job cuts will take effect at the end of the school year. Those who will lose the jobs will be notified no later than April 19 that they won’t have a job with the district next year.

Among those on the list, but who has not yet been notified, is Thomas Gaevert, 49, a U.S. history teacher at La Marque High School. The 16-year La Marque school district veteran attended Tuesday’s meeting hoping to get confirmation on whether he would have a job.

While the board has approved the employees to be let go in a reduction in force, Superintendent Ecomet Burley might not terminate some staff members if it isn’t necessary or if the position is critical to the district.

“The not knowing is what’s killing me,” Gaevert said. “I’ve been told to ask human resources, but no one has gotten back to me.”

That might be because the district has until April 19 to issue the letters.

“We are well within the time line of the deadline,” Burley said in a voice mail left with The Daily News on Wednesday.

The district did not confirm whether Gaevert would or would not have a job next year.

“I love my job,” he said. “I’ve been on pins and needles. I understand what the district is going through, and I know the school district has got to do what it has got to do.

“I am hoping for the best, but ... The uncertainty of it is the worst part.”

Gaevert said he came to La Marque 16 years ago because he wanted to be an “educator like my mom,” who was a college dean.

“People ask me all the time why I don’t teach in Clear Lake or Clear Creek, and I say anyone can teach there,” he said. “To stay here, you have to be committed to the kids. That’s what made me stay all these years.”

Even with the latest round of job cuts, the district is needing to trim more from the budget.

That might come in the form of “re-purposing” one of the elementary school campuses. Essentially a campus would be closed and converted into a community or civic center and the students of that campus sent to the district’s other elementary school campuses.

The focus of the discussion Tuesday was eyeing the possible closing of Simms Elementary, the only La Marque school campus not within the city of La Marque.

That struck a nerve with some, including the Rev. James Daniels and the Rev. D.N. Benford, who noted the campus’ tie to P.S. Simms, the former superintendent of the black schools and principal of Lincoln High School, which served West Texas City and La Marque’s African-American students during segregation.

“If they try to close that campus, we will protest,” said Daniels, an active member of the Lincoln High School alumni association. “To close that campus is a total disregard for that community.”

But Simms might not be the campus picked, district spokeswoman Denise McLean said. At the request of the board, all of the district’s elementary campuses are being considered for converting to another purpose. Burley estimated that would save the district $420,000 a year.

Tuesday’s discussion, McLean said, was to start a dialogue. School trustees did ask the administration to come back with details, including the costs of moving students and staff away from a campus and to come up with new transportation cost estimates.

The district also is considering rerouting some bus routes that could save up to $75,000 annually and to reduce stipends to the tune of about $47,000. Stipends are payments to staff members who take on extra duties, including managing extracurricular activities.

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Meeting Canceled

A special meeting of the La Marque school board scheduled for tonight has been canceled, school officials announced Wednesday.