Pasadena Unified School District board approves layoffs of teachers, staff positions
The Pasadena Unified School District board voted Thursday night to approve the layoffs of over 150 teacher and staff positions.
The school board approved the layoffs in a 6-1 vote.
The decision comes after several district employees lost their homes in the deadly Eaton Fire that erupted on Jan. 7.
"The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education made the difficult decision to reduce approximately 151 full-time-equivalent positions to address our financial challenges and ensure the district's stability," said Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco in a statement.
Blanco said the decision was forced by declining enrollment, rising costs and the expiration of Covid relief funds. She explained that to minimize the disruptions in classrooms, the cuts will be focused on the central office, and the district will find ways to help those impacted.
"I don't want you to think that we're completely giving up but right now we have to take the necessary steps to have the district's fiscal health for the future," Blanco said after the district's vote.
A spokesperson for the PUSD said preliminary notices will go out March 15, the statutory deadline. The preliminary notices will be confirmed sometime in May but will not go into effect until June 30.
"We really don't think that the best way to save on a budget is to cut your staff that supports all of the work on the ground floor at every school," said Beverly Rodriguez, an employee of the PUSD.
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