The Morgan Hill school board directed district staff to prepare
pink slips, the first step toward layoffs, for nearly 60 full-time
equivalent teaching positions.
The Morgan Hill school board directed district staff to prepare pink slips, the first step toward layoffs, for nearly 60 full-time equivalent teaching positions.
The possible layoffs will cut deep into the elementary schools, with 41 teaching positions on the chopping block as the district considers giving up its participation in the voluntary state program for class size reduction. If they do this, then many full-time teaching positions will be cut from the lower grades: 12 kindergarten positions, nine first grade positions, nine second grade positions and 11 third grade positions.
The elementary music teacher will also receive a pink slip. The middle school music program, which already suffered a blow last year, is being considered for a cut as well.
The other cuts include two acclaimed math coaches, two Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment positions, eight Regional Occupational Programs positions and two special education resource specialist program positions, for a total of 56.4 positions to receive pink slips.
Morgan Hill Unified School District is facing an almost $6 million budget deficit, mostly because of the state’s budget shortfall of more than $40 billion, making layoffs a foregone conclusion for next year, according to district officials.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Jay Totter said the pink slips are precautionary only and can be rescinded.
“Letters give us the flexibility to act on those decisions if we choose to do so,” he said.
Since many of the 56.4 positions are temporary teachers, the likely number of pink slips handed out the week of March 13 – the deadline under the education code – will be less than 56, Totter said.
Although all employees will keep their jobs through the end of the current school year, the district has to notify employees that they may be laid off next year by March 13. Then, teachers who will be laid off will receive a final notice May 14.
Classified employees, or custodians, teacher aides and other Service Employees International Union members, will receive pink slips by April 29. For them, the pink slips serve as the final notice.
