Los Angeles, CA — Two local school districts expect to issue “March 15 letters” indicating that nearly 9,000 people may face lay-offs in June.
The Los Angeles (LAUSD) and Compton (CUSD) school districts by law must give employees 45 days notice, if they are not going to re-hire them, and state budget cuts are forcing local education agencies to make some hard choices that may impact classrooms.
That is particularly the case for the LAUSD, whose school board Tuesday voted to send lay-off notices to 8,846 people including more than 3,400 teachers.
In addition, 2,875 certificated and contract management employees will also receive notices, and according to a district spokesperson, many of these individuals are principals and administrators who have the right to “bump” an employee and return to an actual school site.
Local schools, many of whom are staffed with teachers who have the least seniority, may be greatly impacted by this “trickle down.”
On Tuesday, the CUSD Board of Education also voted to send notices to nearly 120 certificated employees (teachers).
In Inglewood, the school board voted last Friday not to send out March 15 letters to any teachers; but according to Superintendent Joice B. Lewis has yet to determine if any administrators will be cut back.
While the school districts have sent out almost 9,000 notices, there are so many other factors causing uncertainty that the actual number of people expected to be let go, cannot yet be determined.
LAUSD has also re-opened its retirement offer, and expects even more people to take advantage of early retirement, which will save some positions.
All of the districts expect to receive money from the recently passed federal Economic Stimulus, but according to an LAUSD spokesperson, as it stands right now these funds would be funneled through the state, which may take a significant percentage of the money.
LAUSD Superintendent Ray Cortines is currently in the nation’s capital with a delegation of some 200 local officials attempting to lobby to get the stimulus money sent directly to local agencies instead of the state.
