By March 15, per California law, schools must announce how many staff and teachers will be laid off at the end of the school year. This article is about the start of the process.
“On Wednesday, Jan. 24, Riverside Unified School District trustees unanimously approved a resolution that lists the equivalent of 23 full-time “certificated” employees, a group that includes teachers, counselors and librarians:
- Six English language arts employees
- Four physical education employees
- Three counselors
- Three social studies employees
- One employee in each of these subjects: art, choir, career and technical education, foreign language, preschool, science, theater
The board also OK’d a list of non-teaching positions suggested for elimination, but many of those jobs already are vacant, officials said.”
The big one will be LAUSD—expect a very large number from that District. Statewide, government school enrollment is down—so expect, if they are honest, not filling a lot of open positions and firing of folks no longer needed.
School layoffs: Riverside board votes to cut about 23 employees, plus other jobs
Tentative reductions include language arts, physical education, special education educators
By SARAH HOFMANN, Press enterprise, 1/26/24 https://www.pressenterprise.com/2024/01/26/school-layoffs-riverside-board-cuts-about-23-employees-plus-other-jobs/
Tentative layoffs for about 23 employees and additional non-teaching positions have been approved by the Riverside school board.
Across California, school districts are reviewing staffing needs ahead of the state’s March 15 deadline to notify employees of possible layoffs. For example, in the Moreno Valley Unified School District, the school board was asked earlier this week to cut roughly 80 positions but wanted further review before approving them.
On Wednesday, Jan. 24, Riverside Unified School District trustees unanimously approved a resolution that lists the equivalent of 23 full-time “certificated” employees, a group that includes teachers, counselors and librarians:
- Six English language arts employees
- Four physical education employees
- Three counselors
- Three social studies employees
- One employee in each of these subjects: art, choir, career and technical education, foreign language, preschool, science, theater
The board also OK’d a list of non-teaching positions suggested for elimination, but many of those jobs already are vacant, officials said.
Kyley Ybarra, assistant superintendent of personnel, leadership and development, called the layoff notices “preliminary.”
“This process is extremely fluid,” she said, and “just between last night at 5 o’clock and this morning, we did receive two retirements.”
The positions were chosen based on funding, enrollment numbers, instructional needs and students’ requests for classes, she said.
School board Vice President Tom Hunt said Friday, Jan. 26, that the uncertainty is also present because “we don’t know what the budget’s gonna be until July 1,” but the district must notify employees by March 15.
The district’s enrollment has declined in the past few years, dropping from 42,153 in the 2018-19 school year to 40,049 for 2022-23, according to California Department of Education data.
Board Member Angelo Farooq asked about how news of the reductions was shared with employees.
Ybarra said district officials had prepared the Riverside City Teachers Association and met with its president, Laura Boling, as well as with individual employees and was working with principals.
Hunt asked about removing the counselor and theater positions on the list.
“I mean counselors have — at high schools — they have 500 to 600 kids assigned,” he said, and on Friday added that it’s “very hard” to find teachers who are credentialed in theater.
He was interrupted Wednesday night as the 4.2 earthquake rattled Riverside.
“It’s California. Come on,” he joked in response to concern and laughter from others in the room. “Where was I …”
In response to Hunt’s questions, Ybarra said the counselor positions were included based on enrollment numbers, but the layoff numbers may later be adjusted after other employees retire. Theater programs would not be eliminated or reduced, she said, but someone credentialed in theater could be.
“I have one comment,” Board President Dale Kinnear said, “and that is that there’s really nothing that I think that we can say to somebody who thinks they’re on that list to really help them feel better.”
“It’s just a horrible, horrible feeling to get pink slipped, and we all know it, because we’ve all — most of us who have worked in the district — have received those pink slips.”
“I think we handle it the best we can,” he said. “It’s a tough situation.” CSU faculty seem split on merits of tentative labor deal announced Monday
The board also unanimously approved a resolution to decrease the district’s number of non-teaching positions, some of which are part-time. The list includes:
- Nineteen special education instructional assistants
- Eight instructional assistants
- Six Head Start instructional assistants
- Five noon playground supervisors
- Two alternative education learning lab assistants
- Two bilingual instructional assistants
- Two cafeteria workers
- One each of the following positions: pest management technician, noon duty supervisor, secondary library media assistant, translator, elementary library media assistant, budget technician, child welfare and attendance investigator, elementary school principal’s secretary
- Hour reductions for: five special education instructional assistants, three school office assistants, one budget technician and one bilingual community assistant
Ybarra said many of these positions are vacant, so their elimination wouldn’t result in people losing their jobs.
