Tulsa Public Schools Set To Cut 142 Teaching Positions

The vote on a proposal to cut more than 100 teaching positions at Tulsa Public Schools is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday. The cuts come in the wake of the massive state budget deficit.

They're faced with more tough decisions and say they will cut 142 teaching positions. 

“That does not mean that we will lose teachers, because we actually believe that right now we'll be able to absorb those folks within vacancies that will be created by retirement and teachers unfortunately moving to other states and so forth,” TPS Superintendent Deborah Gist said.

4/28/2016 Related Story: Tulsa Area School Superintendents Discuss Ways To Save Money

It will increase the number of students in each class, a problem with which TPS already has been struggling.

"It is going to be really difficult,” Gist said. “We're going to have to work at a secondary level and try to manage that through smart scheduling."

It’s something administrators will have to figure out if the plan is approved, especially in older schools where classes already are bursting at the seams.

The district says the proposal would cut $8 million from the budget, making up for a good chunk of the $13.5 million shortfall in funding that faces the district. The school board also approved a change to start times and cuts to athletics to save money.

All cuts have to be made in time for the school year starting in the fall.

At a meeting Thursday, area superintendents met to discuss the overwhelming task of budget cuts. Many proposed similar plans to cut jobs.