Schools prep for job losses

Hundreds of San Mateo County teachers’ jobs will soon be in limbo as education officials prepare for the worst impact from a yet-to-be completed state budget. California requires districts to send out preliminary notices to teachers by March 15, many of which have already been approved. Often the number is refined before final layoff notices are sent out by May 15. Teachers who are laid off could be asked back. A proposal from Gov. Jerry Brown tied to a June election, which needs to be called by the end of this week, would mean more money for schools if approved. Without the tax extensions, school districts are bracing for major losses that would require the termination of positions. Pendery Clark, superintendent of the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District, explained that this year’s initial deadline is unique. Many people on the layoff list will not normally get final notifications. This year, that’s still an unknown, she said. The San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District, the largest in the county, has the highest possible layoff numbers with 83.6217 of those in approximately 540 full-time equivalent positions receiving notices. This includes 30 teachers due to increasing class sizes, 7.33 FTE of middle school elective teachers, four assistant principals and nine administrators, among other cuts. These cuts would mean $5.436 million in savings for the district from two different funds, according to a staff report by Joan Rosas, assistant superintendent of human resources. In the Bay Area, an estimated 1,200 teachers will receive a preliminary notice later this month, according to the California Teachers Association. Statewide, more than 13,000 have received notices, a number that will grow as it only includes numbers from 126 of about 1,000 school districts. The Sequoia Union High School District has been exploring making up to $4.5 million in cuts next year including sending notices to 48.4 FTEs, said district spokeswoman Bettylu Smith. The district currently employs 499 certificated FTEs. The adult school will give notice to an additional 55 temporary certificated staff members, she added. Not everyone would need to be released if the special election is held and tax extensions are approved in June, Smith said. If California’s budget is passed as originally presented by Brown, districts are looking at a loss of about $19 per student. Without the passage of the June tax extension, districts are expecting to lose $330 to $1,000 per student depending on estimates by various school officials. Smaller districts, rightfully, are predicting the layoff of a smaller number of employees which do not necessarily mean less impact. The Millbrae Elementary School District is considering cutting eight FTEs — five elementary teachers, two middle school teachers, .5 FTE of a counselor position and .5 FTE of a middle school principal position. Last year’s cuts included 33.75 FTEs. In the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District, nine full-time equivalent teacher positions from the 154.92 employed will be noticed, according to a staff report written by Superintendent Emerita Orta-Camilleri. San Carlos Elementary School District officials and teachers are still in negotiations in hopes of reaching a savings agreement to avoid layoffs, said Superintendent Craig Baker. If an agreement can’t be made, an emergency special session of the board will be called Thursday, said Baker. A handful of school districts — including Burlingame Elementary and South San Francisco Unified — have no plans to send out notifications next week. South San Francisco will send out layoff notices to temporary employees. Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.