There is a risk of losing good teachers and finding out too late that you could have brought them back later, Barnes explained.

Trustee Kevin Fesler commented, “If every school district in the state is doing the same thing, then our teachers won’t be looking for jobs in Michigan.”

Barnes said he is not aware of any proposed retirements at the time.  According to Director of Finances Scott Sawyer, the state has a very specific window for accepting retirements.

School Board Vice President David Eickholt asked how many teachers in the district are eligible for retirement.

Sawyer responded, estimating about 25 percent of the staff.

“I wish there was a way we could find out if people plan to retire,” Eickholt said.

Carlton commented, “This is incredibly difficult.”

Barnes responded, “We don’t want to cut staff. But we can’t save $1.6 million by not buying paper and pencils.”

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