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Which is: by laying off 50 central staffers come September 1. That's according to a memo the Dallas Independent School District just posted to its Web site. The district's making the move to cover the $4 million budget shortfall, of course; there's still the matter of the missing audit; and on May 29, the district instituted a hiring freeze. Alas, notes the memo: The cuts were "made necessary because of increases in utility and fuel costs, as well as a decrease in local and state revenue." The memo also says this is the second year cuts have been made, but, says superintendent Michael Hinojosa, “In challenging budget times, it becomes necessary to look at ways to reduce expenditures and improve efficiencies. This is simply a tightening of the belt.” --Robert Wilonsky
Keep the Dallas Observer Free... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Dallas with no paywalls.