Brighton to Give Layoff Notices to 50 Teachers

4/12/11 - The Brighton Area Schools’ administration – beset by declining enrollment and with a big budget deficit to erase - will soon be sending layoff notices to 50 teachers. The district is required by the contract with the teachers’ union to send layoff notices to teachers potentially on the chopping block. Superintendent Greg Gray says any teachers not given a pink slip by April 30th cannot, by contract, be furloughed for the coming year. Gray tells WHMI getting a layoff notice – called a “pink slip” – doesn’t necessarily mean the teacher will be looking for a job. Last year a large group of teachers were pink-slipped in Brighton and, because of early retirements taken by veteran teachers, no teachers ended up getting laid off. Gray says if the district does end up having to lay off teachers in the face of declining enrollment, it will save a considerable amount of money. He says to eliminate 50 teachers at the bottom of the salary scale would save about $2.5 million. Under the union contract, layoffs are based on seniority. (TT)