LAUSD board finalizes hundreds of job cuts, previews future reductions

The Los Angeles Unified Board voted 5-2 Thursday to approve the elimination of 657 jobs concentrated in the school district’s central office.

“ All of us recognize that a reduction in force creates significant uncertainty and personal hardships for employees, families, and school communities,” said Andres Chait, acting superintendent. “I want to be very clear that this action is not in any way a reflection of employee performance or dedication, but rather a difficult and necessary response to structural fiscal conditions.”

The job reductions will save the district an estimated $90 million annually and are part of a fiscal stabilization plan adopted last June in response to multiple years of deficit spending.

Before the vote, district staff previewed a plan to cut an additional $3.6 billion from LAUSD’s budget in the next three years, including through thousands of additional layoffs. The board described the proposal as “painful,” “shitty,” and “a doomsday scenario.”

“The district must take urgent action to ensure its solvency and to protect our current and future students,” said Saman Bravo-Karimi, the district’s chief financial officer.

How many people will lose their job?

Thursday’s vote finalizes preliminary layoff notices issued earlier this year to information technology workers, office technicians, and staff that support parents and families.

Labor leaders pushed back on the job cuts during the meeting.  

”We're not going to allow this district to balance its budget on the backs of low-wage education workers,” said Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99, which represents school support staff included in the reduction in force.

“ I understand that there's an, an economic outlook that is not positive, and that there are hard decisions to be made, but I still believe that layoffs should be the last thing that we should be considering,” said Karla Griego, one of two board members who voted against the cuts.

It’s still unclear how many employees will ultimately leave the district by June 30— retirements and resignations can create openings for people who would otherwise lose their jobs.

A new contract with SEIU Local 99 has yet to be ratified by the board, but once that happens it will undo part of the reduction in force, restoring 157 IT techs and additional positions that would have been bumped into lower positions as a result of those layoffs.

Laid-off employees will be placed on a reemployment list in order of seniority and eligible for openings in their classification for about three years. The district also plans to hold workshops on resumé writing, interviewing and other job search skills.

The board also approved a reduction in hours or assigned days for an additional 74 positions.

What’s next?

Even with the reduction in force and higher-than-expected state funding, CFO Bravo-Karimi reiterated that the district faces a growing deficit.

The most recent forecast predicts a $1.4 billion deficit in the 2027-28 school year and a $3.6 billion deficit in the 2028-2029 school year.

“We have faced challenging fiscal outlooks before,” Bravo-Karimi said. “ But what we're facing now… is over twice the size of past shortfalls.”

The County Office of Education requires districts at risk of becoming insolvent to submit a plan to reduce the deficit.

LAUSD adopted a fiscal stabilization plan last June and will consider an outline of further cuts next month.

The newest plan outlines $3.6 billion over three years, including through:

• An estimated 6,000 layoffs that could represent more than 10% of the current workforce
• Mandatory furlough days 
• The elimination of funding allocated to the district’s highest-need learners through the Student Equity Needs Index (SENI)
• Cutting the majority of funding for the Black Student Achievement Plan
• Increasing healthcare costs for employees
• Consolidating schools

District leaders said more details of the plan are forthcoming.

“Every decision we make has to balance two realities: continuing to invest in students and staff while preparing for ongoing fiscal uncertainty,” said acting superintendent Chait.