East Providence Teacher Layoff Toll Reaches 37

At Tuesday night's East Providence School Committee meeting, Interim Superintendent Edward Daft reported 37 staff members in total, including a good portion of special education specialists, could be potentially laid off by next September.

Months ago, the committee announced that .

"We work with principals, we work with union leadership to try and mitigate the anxiety the stress that people feel when they do get layoffs," Daft said. "We try to keep that number down."

Mary King, finance director for the department, said a projected savings could not be estimated quite yet. Some teachers will be rehired after periods of leave. After class scheduling is solidified, administrators will make further adjustments and may hire back some staff members. She anticipates programs, like foreign languages, will be consolidated. 

Laurie Brown, co-chairman of the East Providence Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education, took to the podium to ask how further layoffs will affect special education services. Daft said he hadn't heard of many complaints at the high school since staff members were laid off months ago. She wanted additional information regarding the layoffs. Daft said a plan was in place to teacher assistants (TAs).

"It's just concerning," she said, regarding special education layoffs.