Los Angeles Schools To Face Over 7,000 Layoffs

Los Angeles Unified School District is facing up to 7,300 layoffs in the coming weeks as the board looks to close a $408 million budget gap.

The board has already sent out a massive amount of notices, notifying around 5,100 teachers and 2,200 administrators that they could lose their jobs on June 30^th should no other funding come through by that time.

Come June, the district will be able to provide an exact number of layoffs after the state votes on several measures, including new sales taxes and taxes on vehicles.

In response to the layoff notices, the teachers union have asked the board to refuse any more teacher layoffs in order to “draw a line in the sand,” and make a statement to the state legislature about cutting funding to educators.

One budget proposal presented to the school board includes cutting preschools, after-school programs, and cuts to magnet schools and summer schools.

According to the superintendent, Ramon Cortines, “There is not a line on that list that is not essential to what goes on in our schools. Our backs are against the wall.

There have been nearly 5,000 layoffs over the past two years as a results of state cuts to education funding.