Georgia May Avoid 85% of Teacher Layoffs

During spring of this year, school districts across Georgia expected massive layoffs in the face of drastically reduced state money. Up to 9,000 people were expected to receive layoff notices statewide. Two factors have since come together in order to mitigate the number of jobs lost. First: nearly 2,000 people were able to retire or transfer to positions that weren’t being eliminated. Second: over $300 million is now poised to arrive from the federal jobs bill. The money is expected to save another 5,700 jobs, bringing the total layoffs down to 1,300.

Bert Brantley, a spokesman for Gov. Sonny Perdue, warned that the federal dollars are only a temporary fix: “I think people need to remember – specifically with these state agencies and our schools – they need to understand we have propped up our budget especially with the use of those federal stimulus dollars.”