It is the responsibility of the Board of Education to provide appropriate staffing levels for the implementation of the educational program of the District and the operation of the schools and to do so efficiently and economically.

The Board reserves the right to reduce positions and to suspend the contracts of staff members pursuant to such reduction whenever reasons of decreased enrollment of students, return to duty of regular professional staff members after leaves of absence, suspension of schools or territorial changes affecting the District, or financial reasons so warrant. In lieu of suspending an entire contract, the Board may suspend the contract of a staff member in part and provide a level of compensation commensurate with the percentage of work performed.

In making any such reduction, the Board will suspend contracts in accordance with the recommendation of the Superintendent who shall, within each teaching field affected, give preference first to teachers on continuing contract. The Board shall not give preference to any teacher based on seniority, except when making a decision between teachers who have comparable evaluations.

Continuing contract teachers whose contracts are suspended shall have a right to restoration of employment in the District if and when teaching positions become vacant or are created for which any such teachers are or become qualified. No continuing contract teacher whose contract has been suspended will forfeit such right to restoration by reason of having declined recall to a position that is less than full-time or, if the teacher was not employed full-time just prior to the suspension of his/her contract, to a position requiring a lesser percentage of employment than s/he last held in the District. Seniority shall not be a basis for rehiring a teacher, except when making a decision between teachers who have comparable evaluations.

R.C. 3319.17