Terrebonne Schools Eliminating 85 Jobs

The $191 million spending plan for Terrebonne Parish schools eliminates 85 positions, including 13 special-education and 26 reading-recovery teachers.Superintendent Philip Martin, whose administration created the budget, says the reductions will come through retirements and other employee departures. That means that remaining employees will take over those job responsibilities.

The spending plan is $14 million less than last year. Officials say that's because of sluggish sales-tax returns, cuts in state-provided money and rising retirement and health care costs.  The superintendent said the impact is softened somewhat by decreased enrollment.