CYPRESS : District Lays Off 8 Instructional Aides

The Cypress School District this week laid off eight instructional aides, one each from eight schools, because of budget hardships, officials said.

Supt. William D. Eller said that in preparing the $16-million budget for 1993-94, each of the district’s 10 elementary schools was allocated $75,000 to use toward programs of the principals’ choice.

Eight principals and their schools’ site councils, which consist of parents, teachers and administrators, determined that their funds should be used to hire reading specialists and part-time teachers, buy books and pay for special programs, Eller said.

Each of the eight schools fell about $8,000 short and recommended that the school board lay off the aides. The aides assist teachers with assignments in the classroom.

Landell School, which opened this year, had no instructional aides to lay off, and Vessels Elementary School’s instructional aide retired, so officials there decided not to fill the vacancy, he added.

Administrators and the school board “regret that classified layoffs were necessary,” Eller said. “However, as resources continue to decline, these kinds of actions are becoming more prevalent.”

The instructional aides’ last day of work will be Oct. 15. When they leave, there will be none in the district. However, Eller said, the aides are being encouraged to apply for several job openings, such as for special education aides and bilingual aides, that are expected to be filled within three to four weeks.