Ohio School District Cuts 7th-Grade Sports

The Chronicle-Telegram

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2013/02/14/elyria-schools-cutting-7th-grade-sports-all-librarians-37-teaching-positions-and-more/

Another 59 positions — among them teachers, special education instructors and classroom aides — will be eliminated from Elyria Schools next year as the district looks to cut $3 million from its budget after a devastating levy failure last year.

In a district perpetually strapped for cash, cuts are nothing new to Elyria. Five school buildings have closed in the past six years and hundreds of positions have been cut.

But this time the blade will be felt more by parents and students as entire programs — the WEHS television program at the high school and seventh-grade sports teams at the middle schools — will disappear.

“This is not the first time we have cut $3 million,” said board member Ginny Hawes. “And, even though these cuts will feel drastic — and they are, because we are really starting to feel every cut — we are running out of options.”

Three media technicians will be cut.

And, there will be no seventh-grade sports teams.

“But seventh-graders can try out for the eighth-grade teams,” Rigda said. “It will make the competition much tougher, but we just will not be able to offer those sports next year.”