As Washington State faces a $5 billion deficit, legislators are looking at freezing or reducing the money given to local school districts to pay teachers. The effects of these cuts are already beginning to be felt by teachers across the state, including in the Spokane area.

With up to $12 million in budget cuts, administrators of Spokane Public Schools issued 238 layoff notices Tuesday in preparation for a “worst-case scenario” state budget. According to The Spokesman-Review, on the list are “72 elementary school teachers, 42 high school and middle school teachers, 28 special-education teachers, 55 counselors, 10 speech language pathologists, six librarians, six psychologists, seven occupational therapists and physical therapists; and five specialty educators.”

East Valley faces its own $1 million dollar cuts and prepared by closing Mountain View Middle School, Skyview Elementary, and laying off 25 teachers. The situation is not helped by the failure of the East Valley bond vote last week.