DETROIT (WXYZ) — Students who attend Detroit Public Schools Community District could be losing an extra helping hand in the classroom and support staff.
The cuts are due to a budget shortfall brought on by the end of COVID-19 relief funding and a drop in enrollment.
Support staff includes teacher's assistants, attendance agents and college transition advisers. Many of them pleaded for their jobs at Tuesday's school board meeting and said students will suffer the most in their absence.
"Look around: a lot of us won't have a job, and our kids won't be able to eat," Turrean Coe, a staff member with the district, said.
Coe said they are the backbone of a school district.
The staff members make sure kids are in class, perform wellness checks and — more often than not — go above and beyond for their students.
"When we don't have custodians, I am the one cleaning the floor, I am doing the lesson plan, I am the one seeing about them when they are sick, hurt and don't feel good. Sometimes, we have a nurse; sometimes, we don't," Valerie Purievoy-Hamlet said.
Over 100 district positions may be cut or consolidated come the next school year.
The district says their one-time COVID-19 relief funds are depleted and the money needs to be made up somehow.
"We don't make enough to do what we need to do. We have to take second jobs to make sure the rent is paid, to make car notes get paid, to make sure the water gets paid," Purievoy-Haml said.
These support staff members, often referred to as paraprofessionals and facilitators, have been a staple of the district since the 70s.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said some will be offered the option to switch positions including but not limited to kitchen staff.
"Since I am going to be pushed across the sidewalk and thrown away like an old pair of shoes, and when you go to get them chairs again, don't put anything in my door because I am not going to entertain it," Jaqueline Washington said.
The school board does have a finance committee meeting on April 28, where they plan to dig deeper into budget cuts and allocations.
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