More than 2 dozen teaching positions cut at Chartiers Valley, but 17 new jobs created

Faced with a looming $9 million budget deficit next school year, the Chartiers Valley School Board voted to slash jobs districtwide.

Directors voted 6-3 at a contentious meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, during which they approved two measures that eliminate 30 teaching positions and a handful of secretaries and support staff — but also creates 17 new jobs, 14 of which are teaching positions.

Superintendent Daniel Castagna said that, in order to address the projected budget deficit next school year, administration recommended “significant curtailments of programming across all departments.”

“These changes, along with the careful examination of department spending, will result in a $7.5 million reduction of expenditures,” he said. “This aggressive approach will begin to correct years of growing budgetary concerns without increasing any burden on local taxpayers.”

The proposed budget does not include a tax increase, Castagna said.

Residents who spoke Tuesday night — some of whom are high school students — pleaded against the cuts, concerned about the impact they would have on students’ education.

Some said there were other cost-saving measures the board should have taken, including raising taxes to the limit that the board could without seeking a voters’ referendum.

“All of these moves will start to make this district deteriorate,” said resident Pam Ludwig. “Property values will diminish, and people will stop moving here for the beautiful district we once had.”

Student Adam Rubritz spoke to the impact his teachers had on himself and his peers.

“No one is winning here,” he told the board. “Please stop hurting this school district.”

The furlough resolution states that, based on information available, “the economic conditions of the district require a reduction in professional employees for the 2025-2026 school year.”

District finances can’t be corrected through tax increases alone, the resolution said. Although efforts were taken and implemented over the years, and while Chartiers Valley raised its millage rate each year between 2018-19 and 2023-24, the district’s fund balance decreased.

In addition, the decline of the common level ratio and the need for tax refunds created additional financial challenges, it said. Without the proposed suspensions, Chartiers Valley currently projects a deficit for next school year.

“The proposed economic suspensions will reduce staffing costs in an amount, when combined with other measures, that may begin to alleviate the economic conditions and begin to put the District on better short-term and long-term economic footing,” it said.

The board said it has taken other cost-saving measures, such as reducing staff by attrition, not renewing contracts for temporary professional employees, combining an administrative position, reviewing outstanding contracts and taking related actions, reducing the number of extracurricular and additional stipend positions available, curtailing certain contracts and applications, delaying computer replacement cycles, offering an early retirement incentive, decreasing budget line items for facilities and maintenance employee, reducing curriculum purchases, and applying for grants.

Castagna said Tuesday that 25 staff members had signed up for an early retirement incentive this year.

“Without the proposed suspensions, the district does not anticipate that a budget that does not significantly diminish all fund balance will be feasible,” the resolution said. “If that occurs, the District would be forced to consider elimination of programs, electives, and other non-academic offerings.”

Castagna said that with the proposed eliminations, next school year’s plan includes a “complete overhaul” of district security and an increased focus on core academics, data-driven instruction and computational thinking.

Highlights of that plan include maintaining and expanding student mental health supports and services; holding onto programs like competitive dance and the student-run coffee shop; implementing block, or double period, for English Language Arts and mathematics class at the middle school; and maintaining 20 Advanced Placement courses at the high school.

“This plan acknowledges that change is necessary to increase student achievement and return Chartiers Valley School District to prominence in the region,” Castagna said.

Voting for the cuts were school directors Darren Mariano, Louise Huehn, Herb Ohliger, Jeff Choura, Ed Brosky and Kate Drury. Board members Mitch Montani, Megan Sexton and Lisa Trainor dissented.

Still, many were opposed to the cuts. Suanne Estatico, a physical education teacher at the primary school, told the board she “used to be a proud CV teacher.”

“I am now a proud teacher,” she said.