Topline:
The Los Angeles Unified School District rescheduled a Tuesday meeting where the board was expected to vote on layoffs as part of a larger plan to cut spending. Educators and parents have urged district leaders to delay the vote.
Why delay? It’s not clear. LAist asked LAUSD for an explanation and when the public will receive more information about the proposed reduction in force (RIF). In a statement, a district spokesperson said board agendas are subject to change and that the proposed reduction in force would be presented at a future meeting. Tuesday’s meeting is currently re-scheduled for Feb. 17.
The backstory: For the last two years, the district has relied on reserves to backfill a multi-billion-dollar deficit. There are more than 40% fewer students compared to the early 2000s and the district has not closed schools or significantly reduced staff as costs have increased. LAUSD hired more staff to support students during the pandemic, but the federal relief dollars that initially funded those positions are gone.
What are the cuts? The district’s fiscal stabilization plan proposes layoffs in those “un-funded” positions, central office staff and at schools that support higher needs students.
Unions push back: In a Friday letter, the unions representing LAUSD teachers, support staff and principals asked the board to delay the RIF vote until there is more information available about state funding and the public has more time to understand the proposed cuts. “The notion that these are dark times for education requiring harmful cuts when there are record high state revenues is fearmongering,” the letter states.
