NORTH MANCHESTER - Manchester Community Schools will lose a total of nine teachers as part of its cost-reduction plan, the board decided Tuesday. The school corporation also will make cuts in sports programs, coaching staff and extracurricular activities.

Acting superintendent Kim Thurston described the plan as "a conservative plan designed to carry the school district through the worst-case financial picture. ..." Thurston stressed that if funding increases, teachers will be asked back in order of program priority.

Permanent teacher cuts will come from the music, reading recovery and special education programs. One teacher will be cut from each program.

Non-permanent teacher contracts will not be renewed based on order of seniority. Non-permanents teachers whose contracts will not be renewed are: Lisa Shisler, Anne Fetrow, Stephanie Baker, Anne Clark, Rebecca Cook and Mark Heiden.

Also, Gemini, the gifted and talented program, will no longer be in a self-contained classroom.

Sports canceled include cross country and gymnastics. Manchester High School is especially known for its cross country program, board member Larry Miller said. Miller pointed out that cross country is the least expensive sport the high school offers. He said a reduction in coaching staff would better suit the school than eliminating the sport.

Assistant and ninth-grade coaches will be eliminated from wrestling, football and volleyball, and swimming and track coaching positions will be reconfigured.

School sponsors will be cut as well. The number of senior sponsors will be reduced from four to two, and Sunshine Society sponsors will be reduced from two to one. [[In-content Ad]]