Wednesday, February 26, 2025

PUSD Trustees to Consider 151 Preliminary Position Cuts, But Final Layoffs Typically Reduced

California education code creates two-step process that often lowers initial numbers significantly

Pasadena Unified School District trustees will review proposals to eliminate 151.6 full-time equivalent positions for the upcoming school year at Thursday’s board meeting. The resolutions represent an early step in California’s structured layoff process, which typically results in fewer actual job losses. 

The California Education Code mandates school districts issue preliminary layoff notices by March 15, followed by finalized decisions by May 15. 

During this two-month window, several mechanisms typically reduce the number of affected employees. 

“Districts over-propose to avoid missing March 15 deadlines, ensuring they retain legal flexibility,” according to district documentation explaining the layoff process. 

The current proposal includes 117.6 certificated positions and 34 classified positions. Based on historical patterns, final actual layoffs could lkely affect about 100 employees after accounting for vacant positions and staff departures.

State law prioritizes seniority in determining which employees ultimately lose positions. Longer-tenured staff can “retreat” to previous positions or “bump” less senior employees in similar classifications. 

“A senior high school teacher targeted for layoff might displace a junior middle school teacher, who in turn displaces an elementary teacher,” the documentation explains. “This chain reaction often ends with vacant positions being eliminated instead of active employees.” 

Last year, PUSD initially proposed eliminating 196 full time equivalent positions but finalized only about 90 layoffs. Key factors included removing 90 vacant positions, senior staff reassignments, and accounting for retirements and resignations. 

The district “rarely discloses which proposed layoffs target vacancies versus active employees until May.” Seniority protections can disadvantage newer hires, who often come from more diverse backgrounds. 

Between March and May, PUSD must conduct hearings for employees contesting layoffs, account for departures, and apply seniority-based reassignments. Public perception gets shaped during this process as “initial headlines highlight large numbers, while subsequent adjustments receive less attention.” 

For stakeholders, understanding this system requires scrutinizing vacancy rates, seniority patterns, and attrition trends. Until California reforms education funding to address enrollment declines, this imperfect system will persist as a safeguard against fiscal crisis.