SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Unified School District is trying to find ways to close a $94 million budget gap.
On Tuesday, the district board members will consider and vote on an item that, if approved, would cut hundreds of jobs. According to the meeting agenda, the jobs would range from special education staff to cafeteria workers to teachers.
The cuts would include 222 education credentialed employees, like English, Science, and Spanish teachers. The list includes counselors, principals, and administrators.
Parents like Frank Powell, who has three children enrolled in the district, said San Diego Unified has to find other ways to save money. Powell says he worries about student learning loss and overworked teachers.
"It would be devastating; it always seems like the teachers get the short end of the stick," says Powell.
Kyle Weinberg agrees with Powell. Weinberg, a teacher and the president of the San Diego Education Association, said the union has asked the district to consider other options, instead of layoffs.
"Like retirements, not filling vacancies, using the healthy reserves that the district has," says Weinberg about other ways the district can save.
Weinberg says Tuesday's vote would only be the beginning of the process, with notices going out from principals and the final decision to be made by May 15.
ABC 10News reached out to the district multiple times on Monday with specific questions about these possible layoffs and never heard back. Last week the district said they were doing everything possible to minimize the impact on families.
The school board meeting starts Tuesday at 5 p.m.
