265 Allentown Teachers Face Layoffs

More than 200 teachers are facing layoffs in the Allentown school district.

School officials distributed layoff notices to 265 teachers on Wednesday. That's about 18 percent of the district's teaching staff and more than the school board approved three months ago.

Deputy Superintendent Russ Mayo tells The Morning Call of Allentown not all those teachers will be laid off.

Allentown is set to receive $15.5 million less in state aid under next year's proposed budget but under state law teachers cannot be laid off for budgetary reasons.

The district says it is eliminating electives and making other program changes to raise test scores and reduce dropouts.

Superintendent Gerald Zahorchak successfully asked the board in March to approve laying off 247 teachers as part of the Pathways to Success program.