RI towns approve teacher layoff notices

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) - School committees in Newport and Portsmouth have approved sending layoff notices to dozens of teachers because of uncertainty over the amount of funding they'll be receiving from the federal, state and local governments.

The Newport Daily News reports that Newport's school committee approved layoff notices for 34 teachers and Portsmouth signed off on 29 notices.

School officials say they're frustrated because they're required to send teacher layoff notices by March 1, when funding levels are uncertain. That has forced officials to send out notices nearly every year.

Some state lawmakers are sponsoring bills to push the date back to June 1, but similar proposals have failed in the past.

Thirty Newport teachers got layoff notices last year, but all were called back after the school budget was approved.