Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin HuffmanNASHVILLE - State Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman plans to lay off 26 employees as part of the department's belt tightening.
Reports circulated that as many as 70 people would lose their jobs. That is not the case, said Huffman spokeswoman Kelli Gauthier.
"That's not true," Gauthier said in an email. "It is true that we will be abolishing 43 positions, 26 of which are filled, 17 of which are vacant."
She said that under a requirement in state law, the department "unfortunately ... had to notify more than 70 people to tell them their job could be affected, even though most of them will not lose their jobs."
"In the current budget climate, additional resources for the Department of Education are unlikely," Gauthier said. "At the same time, we are accountable for executing an ambitious strategic plan, and we must make sure the department is structured in a way that ensures we meet those goals."
Gov. Bill Haslam later told reporters it is each commissioner's "responsibility to make sure they have the right people in place and the right number within budget constraints. I think that's part of Commissioner Huffman's overall plans for the department."