SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The multipurpose room at El Cajon Valley High School Thursday night was packed with educators, parents, and students for the Grossmont Union High School District's Special Governing Meeting.
Chants and signs advocating for protection of librarians also filled the room as board members discussed and voted on proposed cuts due to a budget deficit.
Members of the community and staff pushing against the looming vote.
"My job is on the line right now," said Stephanie Macceca, a longtime teacher librarian in the district. "It's not going to save any money to cut my job because they have to hire people to replace us. It doesn't make sense."
A number of people stepped to the podium to speak to the board to sway their votes. Even Chris Fite calling for a stop.
"We can handle this, we don't need to make any of the cuts," Fite said moments before the vote. "That is not what we need to do. We need to retain these people and we need to build up this district."
But in the end, a majority vote was made to go through with the staffing cuts, leaving dozens of holes in staffing district wide. The move scraps teacher librarian positions like Macceca's.
"Oh, I'm devastated. I'm gonna cry ...," she told ABC 10News.
Macceca said this career has become her life.
"I remember when my principal asked me to go into librarianship because she knew I was a really strong advocate for reading. Then the district required that I go back to school for three years to become a teacher librarian, and it's been the greatest job," said Macceca.
Longtime educators in the district like Sarah LeClair said at the end of the day, it's the kids who are hit the hardest by these decisions.
"I think we're talking about bigger class sizes, we're talking about getting rid of some vice principal positions, so that's going mean less mental health support, less support for families when there are issues of discipline to come up with different strategies rather than just kicking a kid out of school," she said.
And many fear it's far from over.
"I think this is just the beginning of cuts," said Macceca. "Our kids deserve better and I don't think that we can wait for a time when there's adequate money. I think that time is now; our students today deserve these services now."
