Seventy five teachers in the Enfield school district learned on Tuesday night that their jobs are in jeopardy.
The potential layoffs target non-tenured teachers, or those with less than four years of teaching experience.
State law requires districts to give them advanced noticed that they might not have a job come next school year.
“I was a non-tenured teacher. I’ve lived it. I’ve been on that side of the coin," Enfield Superintendent, Dr. Jeffrey Schumann, said.
That made Tuesday's news that much more difficult for Schumann to deliver to his teachers.
“Without having our budget set or knowing what the state is going to give us for dollars for grant money, the board cannot in good faith extend contracts to everyone," he said.
Education makes up 52 percent of the town’s budget and Enfield's town manager said the state has proposed cutting Enfield's state aid by $327,000.
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“Any cut in state aid will likely impact both sides of the budget," Lee Erdmann said.
“I would ask the state lawmakers to hold us harmless and to fully fund ECS," Schumann said when asked about his message to state lawmakers.
Erdmann is calling for a tax increase to make up part of the gap.
Schumann said the district might be able to extend those contracts after the town council passes their budget in two weeks.
Teachers will be notified by the second week of May whether the layoffs will remain permanent. At that point, it might be too late even if all of their jobs are saved.
“Worst case scenario for us is they find other employment in other districts and we lose good teachers," said Schumann, who explained that's happened in the past.
While the district will consolidate its two high schools next fall, leaders said that has nothing to do with Tuesday night's action.
