Culver School Board Approves Cut of Five Teachers

Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt
Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt
The Culver Community School Board at their meeting Monday night began the process of reducing force at their corporation – essentially cutting down on the number of employees. The board unanimously adopted a resolution to cut five teachers at the end of this school year, but Superintendent Brad Schuldt said the board has not yet decided which five staff members will be let go.

Schuldt said the resolution merely confirms that the corporation will perform a reduction in force by five teachers, but no specifics have been decided – that is, the board has not made a decision as to who will be cut nor what buildings will be affected. He said the board will know by their meeting in mid-June which teachers’ contracts will be canceled by the board.

Schuldt said the reductions in force are due to two main factors: funding cuts at the state level, and a decreasing enrollment that has negatively impacted the corporation’s coffers.

“First of all, we are seeing a reduction in our general fund support from the state over about a three-year period, we’re going to be losing $1.8 million in tuition support,” said Schuldt. “The other item that is significant is the fact that we are also going through some declining enrollment. In the past three years, Culver Community has declined about 11 percent in total student population.”

Schuldt said those two problems combined make for what he calls a “perfect storm,” forcing the corporation to reduce their staff in order to accommodate the declining enrollment and the shrinking general fund.