San Diego

Concern Grows After Local Teachers and Staff Handed Pink Slips

One in seven educators could be affected by the cuts

Concerns continue to brew at local schools, after more than 1,400 teachers and staff received pink slips.

The students have been realizing what huge layoffs could mean for them.

Camille Zambro is a teacher at Cesar Chavez Elementary and told NBC 7 the layoffs are real and even teachers who have been with the district for some time are affected first-hand.

"I have a ninth year teacher. That's a veteran teacher who got a layoff notice," she said.

One in seven educators could be affected by the cuts.

Low-income schools just like Cesar Chavez Elementary are set to see the most layoffs where 14 teachers and staff members have received pink slips.

NBC 7's media partner, Voice of San Diego reported for 16 of the 20 schools in San Diego Unified School District facing the most layoff notices, at least 75 percent of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch; a rough measure of a school's poverty level.

School Board President Richard Barrera told NBC 7 classroom sizes won't be affected, but restructuring and shifting positions most likely will happen.

"There will be a teacher in the classroom to keep class sizes low, the question is who that teacher will be, and that's the process that we're going through right now," Barerra said.

The Board said they have already received more notices for the early retirement incentive by teachers than expected, so they are hoping to rescind a good portion of those layoffs.

But they won't know that until a new proposed state budget comes out in mid-May.

Ed. Note: A previous version of this article overstated the number of pink slips issued. We have corrected the article and regret the error.

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