Nineteen para-educators lost their jobs Tuesday night because of cuts in state and federal funding and staff reorganization. Four licensed teachers will replace nine of the paras, the school board decided at a special meeting.

The staff cuts came from special education and Title I, a program meant to help students struggling with math and reading.

&uot;There are going to be a lot of kids that will fall through the cracks because there won’t be as much service,&uot; said Diane Doppelhammer, a paraprofessional who didn’t lose her job.

She criticized the decision, saying more staff members meant students learning in smaller groups, which is considered more beneficial.

At the center of the school board members’ arguments lay the neccesity of working with less funding and making a decision that would best help the students who have the most needs. Officials said the funding cuts would cause a significant reduction in the number of children using the programs.

&uot;It has always been our concern to provide the best services we can with our resources,&uot; said Superintendent David Prescott said. &uot;It’s always difficult to let staff go.&uot;

Vice Chairman Bill Leland said: &uot;We haven’t seen a better model. Without something else present I don’t see altering my view.&uot;

Board member Bill Villarreal said it was his toughest decision yet on the board. But he said he saw no doubts from the four elementary school principals in the district, who recommend the changes.

The principals explained that since para-educators are not licensed teachers, they can’t do as many tasks. Four new teachers will have flexibility that para-educators do not, allowing them to better fit to the programs that will recieve about $156,000 less this year. They said it would also help because Title I funding might be cut again next year by 15 percent, as it was this year.

Steve Lund, principal of Sibley Elementary, explained that para-educators are the lowest-qualified instructors, with the least training. He compared them to good parents, who can work with flash cards, play games, and help students with homework. &uot;But take that good parent and ask them to teach long division,&uot; he said.

The four principals explained in a workshop before the meeting that the plan to replace para-educators with licensed teachers was not new. &uot;I think teachers and paras would agree it’s been discussed for four or five years,&uot; Lund said. He said it would be better to do it now with all the necessary changes already being made.

All the principals noted that there was no doubt that para-educators cared and worked hard, but that hiring teachers best fit their needs. Lund said

many teachers he spoke with agreed with the plan, but would not publicly support it because of their relationship with the paras.

Karen Felt-Hutchinson, along with several Title I paras, will now be special education paras. Since they rank in seniority above some current special ed aides, they will replace the ones that have been let go. Felt-Hutchinson said it means that special education students who require more stability will be get less.

Tine Estle, who lost one of those jobs, said what bothered her was the uncertainty. Five paras may be hired back, she said.

She said she understood. &uot;If the funding’s not there, the funding’s not there.&uot;

Board member Jolinda Schreiber abstained from voting.