Still working to make up a 2011-12 budget deficit, the Northgate School Board voted Monday to furlough a high school social studies teacher.

The action represents the first teaching position that will be eliminated other than through attrition. The board also approved the early retirement of several professional employees, and voted to eliminate a number of support positions.

"I don't want anyone to think that this is one of the most favored things,” said superintendent Dr. Reggie Bonfield. “I haven't had to furlough a teacher in over 20 years…The only other worse thing is to have a school district in such financial difficulties that it can't run."

Bonfield said that the district's enrollment has been decreasing for the past five years. According to Bonfield, the district needs to make tough decisions, and "if we're going to get this budget in line, we need to take some steps to do that."

The board accepted the resignation of several teachers and other professional staff under an existing early retirement incentive. The teachers retiring at the elementary school level are Patricia Staab, Lelanda Andria, Athena McMonagle and Jack Downey. Roberta Johnson, an elementary guidance counselor, also will be retiring. At the middle/high school level, those retiring are Gail Hustwit, Sharon Baling, Bonita Mohr and Barb Sandy.

At the same meeting, the board approved the elimination of two part-time and six full-time teaching assistant positions, as well as two and two-fifths lunchroom supervisor positions.

Board members Shannon Smithey and David Natale were hesitant to approve the teacher furlough. Natale said that while there had been a general discussion to furlough teachers, no specifics had been discussed. Bonfield said that all subject areas had been reviewed for possible furloughs. There had been no teachers leaving through retirement in the area of social studies, he said, so the only way to decrease teachers in that area was through furlough.

Bonfield said that the furlough will leave five high school social studies teacher. a number sufficient to cover curriculum.

Smithey made a motion to table the furlough issue to give board members more time to consider the matter, but that motion was defeated in an 8-3 vote with Smithey, Natale and Shirl Reinhart in favor of waiting. Board member Anthony Barbarino was absent.

The motion to furlough a social studies teacher was approved by a vote of 6-2, with Natale and Smithey dissenting.

Bonfield did stress to the board that the furlough would not be final until the board voted to approve the layoff of a particular teacher. In addition, according to solicitor Patricia Andrews, should the board find that the budget did not require the furlough a teacher, the teacher would have to be reinstated before anyone else was hired.