PORT ANGELES – The Port Angeles School Board takes up a deep list of personnel cuts Thursday night.

The district will shed 45 teaching and counselor positions and 29 paraeducator positions in a series of reduction in force notices.

The cuts come as the district deals with a $5 million budget shortfall. Last month, superintendent Marty Brewer outlined how he planned to tackle the cutting of the budget. He says they would increase class sizes between 1 and 8 students per class in K-6 next year, middle school class averages will go from 17 to 32, and high school from 20 to 27 student per class.

In addition to the reduction in force, the district won’t fill other positions that are vacant due to resignations and retirements.

Brewer says the number of para-educators in the district grew during the pandemic from 100 to 138, and the reduction in force will bring that number close to pre-Covid levels.