Westerville schools to cut 30 positions to make up funding shortfall
In a statement Tuesday, school leadership said the positions would be eliminated through 'consolidation of responsibilities and retirements/resignations whenever possible.'
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The district said the majority of those positions would be taken from the administrative team, while instructional staff represented by the teachers' union, the Westerville Education Association, will see 18 positions eliminated through retirement; the district currently has 35 resignations and retirements on deck to help it achieve that target.
The district said there are currently 1,178 licensed/certified staff members in the district.
'All positions have not yet been fully identified, as student course selections at the secondary level have not been completed, but these will help determine areas for reductions,' the district said in its statement.
In addition, the district is looking to eliminate six unionized support staff posts, but other posts may be available for those workers; two non-union support staff positions are being reduced as well. One maintenance position will also remain vacant.
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According to the statement, even with the reductions, the district will need to hire staff 'across all employment groups' to fill in 'known and unknown retirements and resignations.' The district is currently looking for special education aides and bus drivers; those interested can click here.
Westerville City Schools was among a handful of school districts in central Ohio that saw school levies rejected by voters. In addition to Westerville, those districts are Buckeye Valley, Groveport Madison, Madison-Plains, Marysville Exempted, and Reynoldsburg.
For the last number of years, lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse have been weighing ways to give Ohioans relief from growing property taxes, most of which are comprised of local levies. Democrats call on the state to pick up the slack for the funding shortfalls of local schools and municipalities while Republicans call on those local entities to cut spending.
How Ohio's proposed budget could change how public schools are funded
Read the full statement from Westerville City Schools District below:
The Westerville City School District has set a target to reduce staffing by over 30 positions for fiscal year 2026, primarily through the consolidation of responsibilities and retirements/resignations wherever possible. This reduction will address revenue shortfalls since the November 2024 levy failure.
The administration team will see the largest percentage of reductions. Some administrative contracts will be suspended, while others will be reduced through retirements/resignations. Responsibilities will be consolidated among the remaining administrators.
For the licensed/certified staff (Westerville Education Association), the goal is to achieve staffing reductions through retirements of approximately 18 positions of the 1,178 we currently have. We know of 35 resignations and retirements that will help us meet that target as of now. All positions have not yet been fully identified, as student course selections at the secondary level have not been completed, but these will help determine areas for reductions.
There will also be reductions in classified support staff. Within the Westerville Education Support Staff Association, six positions have been identified for reduction. However, we anticipate having other comparable positions available to those affected. Two non-union support staff positions are being reduced as well.
Additionally, one maintenance position (OAPSE 138) will remain vacant.
Even with the planned reductions, the District will still need to hire staff across all employee groups to replace known and unknown retirements and resignations. Current openings include positions for special education aides and bus drivers. Interested candidates can visit https://www.wcscareers.org/ for more information.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Advertisement A draft plan aims to boost the Democratic margin in California to 48 of 52 congressional seats, according to a source familiar with the plan who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. That's up from the 43 seats the party now holds. It would need approval from lawmakers and voters, who may be skeptical to give it after handing redistricting power to an independent commission years ago. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The rivalry puts a spotlight on two states that for years have dueled over jobs, innovation, prestige — even sports — with the backdrop of clashing political visions — one progressive, one conservative. A standoff in Texas after Democrats leave the state After dozens of Democrats left Texas, the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has made threats about removing members who are absent from their seats. Democrats counter that Abbott is using 'smoke and mirrors' to assert legal authority he does not have. Advertisement The House quickly issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats and Abbott ordered state troopers to help find and arrest them, but lawmakers physically outside Texas are beyond the jurisdiction of state authorities. 'If you continue to go down this road, there will be consequences,' House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows said from the chamber floor, later telling reporters that includes fines. Democrats' revolt and Abbott's threats intensified a fight over congressional maps that began in Texas but now includes Democratic governors who have pitched redrawing their district maps in retaliation — even if their options are limited. 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Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley, David Valadao and Doug LaMalfa would see right-leaning voters shaved and Democratic voters boosted in a shift that would make it likely a left-leaning candidate would prevail in each race. Advertisement In battleground districts held by Democratic Reps. Dave Min, Mike Levin and Derek Tran, the party's edge would be boosted to strengthen their hold on the seats, the source said. Democratic members of California's congressional delegation were briefed on the new map on Monday, according to a person familiar with the meeting who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. The proposal is being circulated at the same time that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he wants to advance partisan redistricting. He says he won't move ahead if Texas pauses its efforts. Newsom said he'd call a special election for the first week of November. Voters would weigh a new congressional map drawn by the Democratic-controlled Legislature. 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Advertisement Legislative walkouts often only delay passage of a bill, like in 2021, when many Democrats left Texas for 38 days to protest proposed voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans passed that measure. Lawmakers cannot pass bills in the 150-member House without two-thirds of members present. Democrats hold 62 seats in the majority-Republican chamber, and at least 51 left the state, according to a Democratic aide. The Texas Supreme Court held in 2021 that House leaders could 'physically compel the attendance' of missing members, but no Democrats were forcibly brought back to the state after warrants were served. Republicans answered by adopting $500 daily fines for lawmakers who don't show. Abbott, meanwhile, continues to make unsubstantiated claims that some lawmakers have committed felonies by soliciting money to pay for potential fines for leaving Texas during the session. Barrow reported from Atlanta. Blood reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti in Washington, John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, also contributed to this report.