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Monroe Public Schools sends layoff notices to entire teaching staff

All 343 teachers and 21 administrators in Monroe Public Schools received layoff notices this week.

The Board of Education took the step as it wrangles with a possible $5.5 million budget shortfall for the coming school year.

“We are a district that over the last five years has cut more than $15 million already," says district spokesman Bob Vergiels.  "We’ve been able to stay out of the classrooms so far, but with this particular budget that’s being proposed and debated now in Lansing, I don’t know if we can stay out of the classrooms.”

Vergiels  says the proposed $300 per-pupil state funding cut on top of last year's cuts would devastate Monroe Public Schools’ budget.

He says not all teachers will be laid off, but the district was required by contract to send the notices .

The Flint and Brighton school districts have also recently issued sweeping teacher layoff notices.