On Friday, the Dallas Independent School District unveiled its line-up for the first-ever Citizens Budget Review Commission, a trustee-appointed group charged with helping the school district find ways to cut the budget -- without, it would appear, trimming teachers. Channel 11 was on the scene for last night's first meeting of the commission, during which Dallas Friends of Public Education Mike MacNaughton, also a Friend of Unfair Park, had this to say:
In a scenario where the district would lose $150 million dollars in state funding during the next two years, the district has proposed cutting 450 non-campus jobs amounting to more than $27 million.MacNaugton reiterated his point to Channel 8: "I think they can do what they need to do without cutting any teachers." As DISD reminds this moring via Facebok, "The 10-member commission comprises appointed members who will meet Mondays until their work is complete. Those meetings are open to the public."
But MacNaughton says that number should be higher. "I think we can identify between 600 and 800 of those non-campus employees." He says enough teachers have been cut.