Schools

156 CUSD Employees/Teachers to Be Laid Off Amid Budget Cuts

About 100 people packed the meeting, mostly teachers, and many wondering why the district would open a new high school while cutting staff positions by 25 percent.

Updated at 7:30 p.m.

The board of the in an unusually late meeting at 5 p.m. on Friday unanimously approved a resolution to dismiss 156 teachers and other employees unless millions of dollars in funding can be found before March 15.

The district faces a $6.4 million shortage. Because of that, the jobs of 116 certificated employees are on the chopping block. An additional 40 temporary employees could get lay-off notices this spring as well.

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Many residents lined up to speak out against Resolution No. 23-1112, the intent to dismiss certificated employees. 

By March 15, the board must come up with $6.4 million worth of budget cuts to give the state of California. Teachers getting lay-off notices will be notified by March 15 as well. If no decision were to be made, the county and state would step in and take over all decisions. 

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

Teachers in the audience asked the board not to open saying it did not make sense to spend the millions of dollars while laying off 25 percent of the staff.

Superintendent Dr. John Roach said Sage Creek will cost $1.4 million to operate the first year and cost $293,000 in preparation for opening. Board member Elisa Williamson told the audience, “We’re doing this because we don’t want to be taken over by the state...Tonight I don’t see any other option. Not opening Sage Creek would save us a just a couple of teaching jobs.”

The room got angry at that statement, to which Williamson apologized for making it, but added, “If we don’t do this we are out of options. I will be supporting this as it is.”

The board passed the resolution unanimously, telling those in attendance they hope to come up with a solution in time to rescind lay-off notices that will go out March 15.

For more on this story and to see a list of the employees slated to be laid off, check out one of our bloggers' commentary on the issue: http://patch.com/B-98f

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