PUSD to Issue Preliminary Layoff Notices

The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education acted on Tuesday to protect current class size in the face of an $11.5 million budget gap that is the result of the fourth consecutive year of multi-million dollar state budget cuts, expiration of one-time and grant funding, and declining student enrollment.

The Board voted to order preliminary layoff notices for 63 district and school administrators, coordinators, instructional coaches, teachers, and other certificated staff in the 2011-2012 academic year.  In keeping with the District’s priority of protecting current class size, layoff notices affect a greater proportion – 9.4 percent — of administrators than classroom positions. 

“While our priority is to protect class size, we will all feel the impact of the budget cuts as programs and services are reduced,” said Board of Education President Bob Harrison. “Issuing the reduction in force notices is a requirement that gives us flexibility to meet this situation head-on, and with so many uncertainties about the state’s budget, we have to prepare.”

California law requires school districts to inform certificated employees about potential layoffs by March 15. Like other school districts in California, PUSD hopes to rescind the layoff notices if tax revenue extensions are approved by voters in June. Layoff notices for classified employees (those that do not require a credential) are issued no later than May 15.

PUSD reduced its budget by $25 million in the current 2010-2011 school year. PUSD employees took five unpaid work furlough days in order to save jobs and protect classrooms, and the academic year was shortened by two days for students.  Although the district issued over 160 layoff notices last year, all but 39 positions were retained through savings in other areas, retirements, and attrition.