DeSoto

Desoto ISD Takes Questions from Parents and Teachers Following Controversial Cuts

Desoto ISD is under the scrutiny of parents and educators as plans are being made to cut positions and close a school.

The board held a community meeting Thursday night to answer questions from those directly impacted.

Right off the bat, school board leaders addressed how they got here - mismanagement of funds to the tune of millions.

Parents and teachers honed their questions in on where the district is going.

Desoto Schools Superintendent D'Andre Weaver started by setting the tone of the meeting.

"We're here because we want to see the district be successful. We're here because we know it can be better than what it is right now. And we're here because we are fed up with the status quo," said Weaver.

It was standing room only in the chambers. School leaders told the crowd it was necessary to recommend staff reductions by some 250 people, with roughly 166 of those being teacher roles.

As for the closing of Northside Elementary School, they said taking the campus offline for a few years could yield up to a million dollars for the district.

Questions from attendees were taken down on cards, and most of them about the job cuts.

One parent said she and others feel they're forced to react to decisions rather than be a part of the decision making process.

"A lot of things they give to us on the spread sheets, and at the meetings. We're not able to have input so we're behind the eight ball on a lot of the information and communication. And we just want to be interactive as we go through this process," said Traci Sanders, whose two children attend Desoto Schools.

The board is expected to make a final decision on whether to renew or terminate the 166 teacher positions on Monday.

To support employees impacted, Desoto ISD will host a job fair.

They've also invited HR department and potential employers from other districts to recruit.

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