Nearly 200 Pasadena Unified School District staff will learn if they’ll still have their jobs next school year, as the Board of Education votes on finalizing a fiscal stabilization plan and sending out layoff notices at its Thursday, March 14 special meeting.
Facing the loss of one-time COVID funding, declining enrollment, and a $38 billion state budget shortfall, the Los Angeles County Office of Education called on the district to implement an aggressive plan to reduce costs last year.
Should the board approve the layoffs, 90 full-time equivalent certified employees and 93 classified employees won’t return for the 2024-25 school year, effective June 30, as part of that plan. The move is expected to save $9 million in one-time costs in just the next school year.
The district last month approved two resolutions paving the groundwork for sending preliminary notices to affected employees by the state’s deadline for Reduction in Force notifications.
At that meeting, some board members expressed frustration about the uncertainty and ongoing changes to the budget situation, as exemplified by last minute revisions which nearly doubled the amount of positions to be cut.
Since then, the district has worked to draw as many positions out of the list as possible. Those resolutions, which listed 224 total employees that would be affected, would be replaced should the board approve the move Thursday.
“As we move through the budget development process for 2024-2025 and the next three years, we are continuing to take measures to reduce the impact on students and staff,” Interim Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in an email update. “I will continue to keep you informed as we progress through budget development.”
The cuts include 22 teachers on special assignment positions, 16 elementary education positions, 11 middle school teaching positions, and 8 psychologist positions.
Public commenters at the board’s last meeting pointed out that the…
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