UTAH COUNTY – Alpine School District officials are blaming the Affordable Care Act for the decision to reduce the hours of part-time and hourly employees.
Those impacted include bus drivers, school secretaries, custodians and part-time teachers.
Building and department administrators in the district are being instructed to reduce the hours of about 800 employees to no more than 27.5 hours in a week. The reduction is to be in place before July 1.
Phil Brown is one of those impacted by the change, and he expressed concern for his future.
“I’m gonna go back and start looking,” he said. “I mean, I’m 65, and I’ll tell you what, it’s hard for a 65-year-old person to get a job. Everybody wants to have the young people. They don’t, you know, the bulk of these people are over 65, what do we gotta, what choices do we have?”
District officials said offering those employees any more hours than that would require the district to offer the employees a contract and benefits, which would cost the district an estimated $4 million each year. Officials said they don’t have the financial resources to support that expense.
Principals at schools in the district are also being asked to reduce hours for part-time and non-contract employees.
