The Santa Ana Unified School District is facing a $187 million budget shortfall and plans to address it by laying off 280 teachers and counselors. While this represents less than a quarter of the proposed cuts, the move has sparked concerns among parents and community members about the impact on students. The district asserts that class sizes and counseling ratios will remain healthy despite the layoffs.
The Santa Ana Unified School District plans to address a $187 million budget shortfall this year by laying off 280 teachers and counselors.The Santa Ana Unified School District plans to address a $187 million budget shortfall this year by laying off 280 teachers and counselors.
"That represents less than one quarter of all the cuts that we're proposing. Most of the cuts are away from personnel like in supplies and services," Ron Hacker, associate superintendent and chief business official for SAUSD, said."We have declining birth rates across the state, and it's the cost of living in Orange County, especially in Santa Ana, that it's just making it impossible for people to stay here," Hacker said.
"It's disturbing to hear since there are problems in the schools as far as room size, students to each class," said Olivia Duran, a SAUSD parent. "It's worrisome as a parent. They already have so many students per class," another parent said. Retired SAUSD teacher Cathy Spiel said, "Of course I don't want to see my fellow teachers being laid off. I've seen it though, since I've been teaching. So I understand it, but I'm not happy about it.""We're still going to have a really healthy counseling ratio. We're still going to have very healthy class sizes. We're still going to have good social, emotional support for the students.
BUDGET SHORTFALL SCHOOL DISTRICT TEACHER LAYOFFS EDUCATION FUNDING ORANGE COUNTY
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