SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Outside Linda Vista Elementary School Thursday, Tereza Perez said she worries about the future of her daughter’s education.
She and other parents told ABC 10News several teachers were being laid off from the school as San Diego Unified tackles a $94 million deficit and dropping enrollment.
“Unfortunately, I personally feel that because we are a low-income area that we're not considered a high priority when it comes to fulfilling our children's education,” said Perez.
The school district said late Thursday it had rescinded 225 out of 234 educator layoff notices issued earlier this year.
“One of the things that I think is particularly challenging is this mismatch in timing between when school districts are required to issue pink slips … and when we have all the available financial information we need to make really thoughtful and informed decisions about our budget and staffing levels we're able to maintain,” said Shana Hazan, president of the San Diego Unified School Board.
Hazan said the nine final layoff notices have been given to math, science, and Spanish teachers.
She said state law requires layoffs to take place based on seniority.
“One of the things that we do know and that the research (shows) is that often our most inexperienced teachers tend to be at lower income schools and so that's why Linda Vista may have seen what it did,” she said in an interview.
Hazan credited attrition, retirements, and resignations with stopping the other 225 layoffs.
“Each of those dollars represents additional positions we've been able to bring back,” she said.
Back outside Linda Vista, Perez said she’s concerned newer teachers at the school are going to be replaced with educators from other schools with more seniority.
“The new teachers are one of the best teachers because they have that fresh attitude that, you know, that want to teach versus the ones that are on burnout,” Perez said.
