Magnolia ISD Lays Off 115 Teachers and Staff

Magnolia ISD (in Montgomery County, next to the Woodlands) with a motto of "dedicated to being the best school district in Texas,"laid off 115 teachers and staff on Wednesday, and might not fill another 64 positions where staff is retiring or resigning. That's a total of 179 position lost. The district has two high schools, two junior highs, two 6th grade schools and eight elementary schools. It became a recognized school district for the first time in 2010.

Included in the layoffs are 55 probationary (first year) teachers, 51 support staff and nine central office staff.

Parent reaction:

"I just hate to hear that all these budget cuts are going to have to happen and we’re losing all these teachers," said parent Tara Carpenter, who has two children in Magnolia ISD schools. "It seems like they barely have enough teachers as it is and they’re going to cut them even more?" 

"Above everything education should be number one, period," added parent Stacy Gross. "I don’t agree with cutting back on education at all." 

"I’m worried about the quality of education my kids are going to get now," said Carpenter.

From the Magnolia ISD board president:

"It is a dark day in Texas, and I fear we are witnessing the systematic dismantling of public education as we've known," said Cecil Bell, school board president.

MISD employees 1700 staff.