the unknown.

I realize that all of you are under a huge amount of stress related to the Reduction In Force (RIF). The Executive Team and Human Resources are working as quickly as we can to give all of you some information regarding your position. The week of June 6 we will begin to notify departments and employees of their positions. This notification process will continue until the beginning of September for some of you, depending on the need of your services. We do not take this process lightly and are reviewing positions to ensure we have made the right decision for the District. I will continue to update you as we move forward.

What you just read is an email from the school district sent to all employees. What does this mean to me? Well, I was only recently hired in September 2009, so I have less than 2 years in the district. A ridiculous amount of debt has made it necessary for the district to cut back. Right now the tentative plan is to cut kindergarten from full day to half day, cut bus service, cut "unnecessary" positions, and lay off some employees. And when it comes to layoffs, they're going to start at the bottom. Which means my job is in danger.
  
According to this email, I might find out as early as the beginning of June. Or I might be frantically checking my mail every freaking day from June 6th until September, praying to the patron saint of employment that I don't receive any bad news from the district.
 
This means I won't be going on vacation this summer. It means I'll have to put a hold on my plans to start looking for my first house. It means I've been working on revising my resume and portfolio, and I'm back to checking other school districts for openings, just in case.
 
I hate it... the uncertainty and the fact that no one is able to give me a straight answer about anything. I'm new to the politics of the school district, and I'm not even sure I understand how all this works. But what I do know is that it all just plain sucks.
     
Of course, I could be jumping the gun. Maybe there will be some sort of miracle at the last minute and money will come through. I could be worrying for nothing. But either way, I need to have a back up plan. Just in case.