The New Haven, CT spokesperson Laurence Grotheer announced that 1,100 public school employees received a notice that they are being laid off. This announcement comes after a $5 million reduction in the city’s annual budget.
Part-time teachers, tutors, lunch aides and bus monitors all received notifications that their employment was terminated. The layoffs are an attempt by administrators to balance the city budget by reducing employment and the staffing of New Haven Public Schools.
Superintendent Carol Birks said that the cuts were necessary to ensure that the city was “ utilizing those positions or resources as efficiently as possible.” The negative consequences of the layoffs are borne by the workers who are now put in a precarious position due to the decisions of bureaucratic representatives of the oligarchy.
The majority of funding for New Haven public schools comes from property taxes. Each municipality has a “mill rate” which determines how much tax is paid by property owners. In the last approved budget for the city of New Haven, the mill rate decreased by 7%, which means less revenue is collected for the state to fund education.
While property owners are receiving a decrease in taxes, the working class is thrown into unemployment from the corresponding decrease in revenues. After the reduction is made in taxes, bureaucrats rush to “balance the budget” by laying off employees. Public education and the employment of the working class is undermined by the capitalist economic system.
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/New-Haven-Could-Cut-1100-Public-School-Jobs-486483321.html
https://www.newhavenct.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=27907