No certified teachers in either local school system will lose their jobs for the upcoming school year due to attrition.

The Bartow County Board of Education approved a slate of personnel recommendations on Monday night, and Superintendent John Harper said that 100 percent of the school system’s certified teachers who were expected to lose their jobs because of a reduction in force due to budget cuts have been placed for the 2012-2013 school year.

“One hundred percent of the teachers that were (part of the reduction in force) that wanted to continue to work in the Bartow County School System, in other words those who aren’t retiring or who don’t want to stay home, will have a position with us next year,” Harper said.

In addition, four limited contract employees—workers who were hired after the school year began—and three classified employees were placed as part of the board’s vote.

“We try to be loyal to people who work with us and find positions for them,” the superintendent said.

The school system currently has six classified positions open.

“We had some people who lost their jobs,” Harper said. “Those positions have been offered. And, there will be others that come up. Every classified person has been offered a position. They’ve turned down some, though, of course. But, as they continue to come up, we’ll re-offer those positions to them.”

Also on Monday night, the Cartersville Board of Education approved a preliminary budget of approximately $33 million that includes a reduction in the number of paraprofessionals the school system employs. Superintendent Howard Hinesley said that the budget includes cutting 22 parapro positions, though some of those will be placed in other roles.

“A few of those will get jobs in the media center and other areas,” Hinesley said. “They will have priority.”

Parapro and bus monitor positions not being cut will be privatized with Ashton Placement Agency, a move that will save the school system money because it will no longer be responsible for those employees’ benefits.

“Those benefits are not comparable to ours, but we can no longer afford to (pay for) that insurance,” Hinesley said.

Hinesley said that insurance premiums are increasing by $150 a month this year, an additional $150 a month next year and another $150 a month the following year.

Although the school system is cutting several parapro positions, no full-time teachers will lose their jobs, the superintendent said.

“This doesn’t make me feel good at all,” Hinesley said. “We’ve struggled to look at other options. These are people who have made a contribution to our school system.”