Half of Jefferson County teachers lose jobs

Half of Jefferson County Schools' teachers will not return next year as a charter school company takes over the struggling district.

Superintendent Marianne Arbulu confirmed the teacher turnover numbers late Tuesday and told the Tallahassee Democrat about half of the current support staff members also have been notified they won't return next school year.

"Additional support and administrative announcements (are) expected at the end of this week or early next week," she said.

The announcement came during the last week of school for Jefferson students, as the district begins its transition to become the first in the state run by a charter school company.

At last week's Department of Education financial emergency board meeting, officials said an estimated $555,000 in terminal leave pay will go to school district staff no longer employed after June 30.

The Jefferson County School Board voted unanimously in April to approve a 5-year contract with South Florida's Somerset Academy, Inc. Education Commissioner Pam Stewart called the unprecedented move "historic."

In a February interview with the Democrat, Arbulu said Somerset will control staffing decisions.

“A charter company, by statute, does have its own governing board. They will come in, and they will have the responsibility of hiring, firing and recruiting for that school," Arbulu said. "They are going to make the decisions, and we will support their decisions because we can't continue to keep doing what we’ve been doing."

The chair of Somerset's board declined a request for an interview regarding the transition earlier this month.

According to Somerset's website, the company operates 50 schools with 17,597 students in Florida, Nevada and Texas.