School cuts Spanish teacher

CLYDE — Officials of Clyde-Green Springs Schools unanimously and recently voted to approve a staff cut for the 2026-27 school year due to a lack of state funding. The district's board of education approved superintendent Lucas Messer's recommendation to not renew a teacher's contract for next year and terminate the position. Officials were clear that the decision was not easy, as they were hesitant to make the motion. Andrea Moya, a high school Spanish teacher at Clyde High School, is the only teacher whose contract will not be renewed for next year due to a "reduction in force," meaning the district is dissolving the position. Her salary wasn't publicly disclosed by local officials. The Buckeye Institute lists her 2022 salary at about $46,000. The reason behind the staff reduction is because of decreased enrollment and financial considerations, according to the board meeting agenda. Factors contributing to the reduction decision, according to the agenda, include: • Certification/licensure • Evaluation comparability • Seniority Moya's non-renewal means there will be one Spanish teacher within the district. Spanish is the only language offered to Clyde-Green Springs Schools students, other than sign language offered through college credit courses. "Our numbers indicate that we only need one (Spanish teacher) given where enrollment is, not only in Spanish but in general," Messer said. The need for a staff reduction in general is due to state funding, according to Messer. Clyde-Green Springs Schools is not the only district feeling the effects of the state's dollars. Vermilion Schools recently cut six teaching positions for the 2026-27 school year for the same reason. The district did what it could to minimize the number of affected individuals, like moving teachers around thanks to retirement openings, according to Messer. This is the only staffing cut the district anticipates for the 2026-27 school year, but the decision is hard to predict. "Until you actually know what you're going to get from the state, those decisions are always going to be evaluated, now on a yearly basis," Messer said. Moya is entitled to "restoration rights," according to the agenda, which Messer clarified to mean she will be the first candidate notified if, within a two-year period, the position becomes available again. Board approves office relocation The board also approved Messer's recommendation to start a bidding process for renovations to be done at the high school, a project that would include moving the board's office onto the high school property to save district dollars. Funding for this project will come from the district's permanent improvement fund. The cost of the renovation is unknown. Before the approval, Messer noted it does not mean the project is set to happen. If the price tag attached to it is too high after bidding, officials can still turn back. The renovation will: • Move the board of education office from its current location, on Main Street next to Wild Brew, into the high school's current library space • Transform two unused classrooms into a community room open to all district stakeholders • Turn two unused classrooms into a new library/learning hub The move from Main Street would mean avoiding renovations for that space while saving other dollars through consolidation. The current board office needs a list of maintenance — including roof repairs/replacements, foundation work and heating, ventilation and air conditioning updates — in addition to $25,000 in yearly utilities. "It allows us to get out of there," Messer said. "We have available space here. Consolidating under one roof with one of our buildings allows us to offset a district property and share utilities."