By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green Board of Education voted Thursday evening to layoff 32 food service and two secretarial staff due to the impact of COVID-19.
“In education, we’ve never seen anything like this,” Bowling Green Superintendent Francis Scruci said after the school board came back from a half hour executive session.
“Coronavirus has created a lot of difficult obstacles,” he said. “A lot of tough decisions.”
Due to the school district starting the fall with online classes only, the workload for the 34 positions is drastically cut.
Scruci said all of those affected by the reduction in force have been told about their positions.
“We met with them personally, to first of all show how difficult this is,” he said. “But unfortunately, we’re in a time when we just don’t have the work for them.”
Scruci said this is the first reduction in force he has had to administer.
“This is one of the lowest points that I’ve ever had, because I’ve never had to tell people that they aren’t going to have employment.”
“We value these people. We just don’t have the work for them,” Scruci said of the difficult decision.
The school district’s food service will continue to provide meals to those students in need, he said.
The layoffs may be temporary, since the school board has set Oct. 9 as the date to evaluate if the district will continue with remote learning or will adopt a hybrid model.
“Many of those people, hopefully they will want to come back,” Scruci said.
The board also voted Thursday evening to continue payment of health insurance for laid off workers. Those employees getting health insurance now will continue to be covered through the end of the year.
After the meeting, Scruci said this reduction in force is all the district is currently considering.
“As of right now, this is all we have,” he said.
