By SANDY McGEE

CUMBERLAND — The Cumberland School Committee voted unanimously Thursday night to approve the recall of 19 teachers and employees that were previously laid off at the start of the school department’s budget process.

Forty-six certified staff members were laid off this past February as officials began work on this year’s more than $52 million school budget. The layoffs in Cumberland followed the actions of several other school districts, which reduced its staff as a means to cut costs.
Based on recommendations by the superintendent, the School Committee voted 7-0 to recall 19 of the 46 staff members during its meeting on Thursday night at the high school.
Recalled positions included a kindergarten teacher, Cumberland High School math teacher, a special education teacher for Ashton Elementary School; two English teachers for the high school, a reading specialist for the high school, a system-wide guidance counselor and others.
Also recalled were six individuals to the Cumberland Teachers Association (CTA) job pool.
“If recalled to the job pool, it means that there is a job in the district matching their qualifications,” said Superintendent of Schools Donna A. Morelle.
A small job pool was held Friday at the high school. Officials said that more job pools will be held throughout the summer.
While the recalls went into effect on Friday, 27 teachers and school staff are still waiting to hear if they will have a job in the fall. The prospect for everyone being recalled appeared unlikely as of Thursday, but further reinstatements could be held in July. 
“There many not be a full recall of everyone on the list because of some of the education decisions that we have made,” Morelle said at Thursday’s meeting.
The superintendent previously said that there were three major reasons for the non-renewal notices: reduction in enrollment; programming recommendations, which may reduce faculty members at the middle school; and scheduling changes at the high school.
“Every person who received a layoff notice may not be recalled,” she said. “We are doing our best to find a position for everyone.”
“We were hoping for more,” said CTA President Rod McGarry in regards to the recalls. “We hope to see another round of recalls in July. This may be one of those years where we don’t see everyone recalled. It all comes down to budgeting.”
The committee voted 6-1 in February to approve the layoffs, with opposition from committee member Karen MacBeth.
The original cuts included several reading and English teachers, special education teachers, three English as a second language teachers, a guidance counselor, a media specialist for B.F. Norton Elementary School and Garvin School and many more.
The staff cuts also include three foreign language teachers, two at Joseph L. McCourt Middle School and one at Cumberland High School; and two music teachers who each work at several schools throughout the district.