WYOMING, Mich. — Students, parents and staff members packed Monday's Godfrey Lee Public Schools board of education meeting to voice their opposition to recent administrative layoffs that have shaken the district.
The decision to lay off five school officials, including three principals, has weighed heavy on the hearts of community members who wore custom pins reading "We Are Familee" to show their support for those let go.
Emotions ran high during the meeting as students and parents shared personal stories about the impact of the layoffs, for officials who spent decades with the district.
"I cried. I came Tuesday morning, 7:20 sharp, as soon as school opens, read to his office, got the news he wasn't there. I cried," said Allison,Cruz a senior at Godfrey-Lee Highschool.
"There was a tough time last year where I had a real big struggle with my family. He gave me that closure. He made sure I was on top of my items." Cruz said.
Parents in attendance echoed the same sentiments, when reflecting on the members lost.
"It was Lambert who helped pick up the pieces, who held my youngest son while he cried in his lap over the loss of his father," said Jessica Horn, a parent of multiple students in the Godfrey-Lee district. "And that was a big loss for us as a family."
District cites financial pressures
Superintendent Arneta Thompson defended the difficult decision, citing declining enrollment and anticipated state funding reductions as the driving factors.
"We are going to be down $900,000 because the loss of those nine students. So we were faced with a no win decision, either reduced administrators or reduced staff, no win situation," Thompson said.
Among those laid off was substitute teacher Jailene Rodas, who read notes from her students during the meeting.
"I feel like I get sad because I feel like every time I get a teacher, I like, I have to move to another school. Miss Rosa, you were my favorite teacher of my schedule," one student's note read.
Rodas expressed frustration with how the layoffs were handled.
"I was told that the remainder 2.5 hours of the day was the last that I would be teaching here. I was told I was not going to be teaching on Tuesday," Rodas said.
Community members criticized the district's approach to the layoffs, saying it contradicted the family atmosphere the school promotes.
"There was no emotion, there was no empathy, there was no compassion,And we're supposed to be a family. We're supposed to be connected." Horn said. "They had already made the decision and made their voices be heard without hearing what we wanted to say."
The layoffs occurred over a week ago, with Monday's meeting marking the district's first board gathering since the school year began.
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