JEFFERSON TWP — The South Butler County School District may be considering teacher layoffs for 2016-17 school year.

District solicitor Tom Breth said the district is looking at a number of personnel issues, including retirements that may not be replaced. The school board and administration have been discussing the issue of potential layoffs in executive session, Breth said.

Breth could not say how many teachers could be affected by the layoffs, and he does not believe the district offered incentives for early retirement.

The district has a March 1 deadline for teacher's to submit their retirement intentions, but the school board can receive requests after that deadline and vote to approve or reject the requests.

Breth stressed the decision is not final.

“Nothing's been decided,” he said.

When asked if the district has sent out lay off notices, Breth said teachers should not being receiving notices since the board has not made any decisions yet.

“I don't know how anybody would be issuing notices when the board hasn't made a decision,” he said. “Nothing has been issued by the board's directive.”

The district and it's 168 teachers are in the middle of contract negotiations since the previous contract expired in June 2014.

Nelda Burd, president of the school board, could not confirm or deny that the district is looking into layoffs, but she did say that the topic may be discussed at the next board meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the library of Knoch Middle School, 754 Dinnerbell Road.