Oceanside School District Cutting 117 Teaching Positions

The Oceanside Unified School District in north San Diego County plans to cut 117 teaching positions in order to help close a more than $20 million budget deficit.

School trustees approved the plan Tuesday. Oceanside Unified is among the many school districts in the country facing declining enrollment, which means fewer dollars from the state, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.  As a result, the district is also projecting a 2011-12 budget deficit of more than $24 million. It would be forced to cut an additional $19 million in personnel and programs.

“It’s a big problem, and it’s not a one-year problem,” Robyn Phillips, associate superintendent of business for Oceanside Unified., told the paper.

Administrators have told teachers the only way to avoid such a large number of layoff is if they agreed to pay cuts of up to 8 percent.