Celia Jiménez here, thinking about the tough decision trustees from the Pajaro Valley Unified School District will have to make tomorrow: terminating more than 150 staff positions that many say will drastically impact mental health and special education programs.
Cutting these positions will help the district to reduce its budget by $15 million by the 2026-2027 school year so it can stay afloat. “These actions are essential to eliminate the structural deficit, restore long-term fiscal balance, and maintain the minimum Reserve for Economic Uncertainties in accordance with state requirements,” a report by PVUSD staff stated.
The Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers, along with many parents and students, oppose this plan.
“It is crucial that we focus on the mental health of our students,” said Michelle Barraza, a high school student during the trustees’ Nov. 12 meeting. Barraza noted that students are stressed not only because of finals, but many are still recovering from a stabbing that happened at Watsonville High School in October.
In a press release, PVFT representatives stated the layoff proposal “specifically targets our special education programs, increases class sizes, reduces student support, and weakens the educational experience for all learners,” noting the district has unrestricted reserves of $50.3 million.
Over the past decade, enrollment at PVUSD has declined nearly 20 percent, and it has also exhausted $127 million in one-time Covid-19 relief funding that supported several of the positions that are at stake.
If the district keeps spending at the current rate, it will soon enter into a deficit that could lead to a receivership, meaning it would lose local control and would have state and county oversight, PVUSD Chief Business Officer Gerardo Castillo said in November, referencing a letter from the Santa Cruz County Office of Education.
Getting out of receivership isn’t easy. Districts have to fulfill more than 150 standards set by the state that cover such areas as financial management and community relations.
PUVSD’s trustees are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either decision they make tomorrow could have negative consequences, either short or long term to the district.
Declining enrollment, one-time funding, layoffs and consolidations are part of the regular business at many school districts in Monterey County and California. If there is something people fear more than change, it is losing their right to be at the table and handing over the decision-making process to outsiders.
The board will discuss the staff layoffs tomorrow, Dec. 11 at 6pm.
Prior to the meeting, PVFT, parents and students will hold a rally at Watsonville City Hall, 275 Main St., in Watsonville.