Santa Ana Unified School District will issue final layoff notices this week to 262 employees, including teachers, counselors and instructional coaches.
The school board approved the decision in a 4-1 vote during a special meeting Monday night, May 19.
The layoff notices come as the district continues to grapple with a steep drop in student enrollment and a budget deficit of more than $180 million, officials said. The district last issued layoffs in 2017, but officials say the student population has dropped by more than 10,000 since the 2018-19 school year.
Since the 2018-19 school year, the district has gone from nearly 47,000 students to just over 36,000 enrolled this school year. Because state funding is tied to enrollment, fewer students mean fewer dollars coming in.
Employees were notified back in March, per state law, that they could be affected and were given the option to request a hearing to challenge their proposed layoffs. A five-day hearing took place in April, and as a result, several dozen staff were removed from the layoff list.
The cuts impact a wide range of positions, including classroom teachers, counselors, mental health professionals and support coaches. Board members emphasized the cuts were necessary to stabilize the district’s finances.
Final layoff notices are expected to go out by Thursday, May 22.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.