Schools

SDUSD Rescinds Layoff Notices for Numerous Music and Arts Teachers

The San Diego Unified School District has till June 30 to pass a balanced 2011-12 school year budget.

The San Diego Unified School District voted on Tuesday to rescind layoff notices to an unknown number of music and arts teachers. The district was able to save the positions by cutting several high-level administrative including two assistant superintendents and classified positions.

School district approved laying off 1,500 district employees, including 24 La Jolla educators, in March. District staff determined the layoffs would be necessary to resolve an estimated $120 million budget shortfall for the next school year.

This is not the first year that SDUSD issued pink slips and rescinded them.

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While the vote to rescind layoffs for a handful of music and arts teachers was approved, a motion to restore smaller class sizes in kindergarten through third grade at the expense of more than 100 classified positions was rejected.

“There is no way this district can function without classified employees,” said board member Sheila Jackson. “I do believe in class size reductions, but I also believe in stable schools.”

Find out what's happening in La Jollawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Superintendent Bill Kowba said restorations were not currently possible because the district had “an empty bank account,” and already was forced to borrow money to meet payroll demands.

The school board also heard a tentative reading of the budget, which it is required to pass before the July 1 deadline. The options presented by Chief Financial Officer Ron Little reflected cuts of nearly $115 million because of Gov. Jerry Brown's veto of the state budget last week which caused uncertainty to district revenue.

Some of the money-saving measures presented were to close or consolidate 10 schools, sell off district property and to raise the student to teacher ratio.

The district will meet again on June 28 to vote on a final budget.

To watch the June 21 meeting online click here.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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