Oakland schools brace for staff layoffs

"Over the last few weeks, school leaders across Oakland have called emergency meetings with parent leaders to share some tough news: some of their school's beloved staff are on the chopping block for next year. At some schools, PTAs are scrambling to fill the budget gaps, but at others, the district's planned cuts leave too big a hole for community fundraising to cover. The district's $100 million deficit and the plan to resolve it mean school sites are taking a hit."

"Though the school board has pledged to focus on cutting costs at the central office, the approved budget plan includes reducing school site budgets by up to 10%. And in a district where 80% of spending goes toward staffing costs, cutting $100 million adds up to massive layoffs. Since the district's budget plan includes moving budget lines from the general fund to more restricted revenues, schools that don't qualify for those specialized funding streams are slated to lose staff previously paid through the general fund."

Oakland Unified faces a $100 million budget deficit that will reduce school-site budgets by up to 10% and trigger significant layoffs. Eighty percent of district spending goes to staffing, so the cuts translate into large reductions in employees. The budget plan also reallocates some positions from the general fund to restricted funding streams, causing schools that do not qualify for those streams to lose previously general-funded staff. Schools have received one-pager spreadsheets showing next year’s allocations based on enrollment and student needs, and principals must notify affected staff by the March 15 deadline. Many roles may be eliminated or shifted to part-time, threatening essential student support positions and household incomes.

Read at The Oaklandside