San Diego Unified School District met Tuesday afternoon to discuss the number of pink slips distributed as the second largest school district in the state of California grapples with a $124 million budget deficit.
On the agenda is issuing nearly 200 additional pink slips that may include support staff such as bus drivers, library technicians and mental health workers.
Joining the meeting were dozens of protesters outside the building for the Board of Education.
In March, more than 1,400 pink slips were delivered to employees but the district said that does not mean this will be the number of people losing their jobs nor the number of positions being eliminated.
District officials said some receiving pink slips may qualify for early retirement. The district is offering early retirement packages to more than 1,500 teachers, who are of retirement age to save jobs.
Teachers union representatives have told NBC 7 there are concerns about how the district plans to make sure children still receive a top-notch education with less resources. They also said the lack of job security is discouraging future educators from pursuing a teaching career.
“Our biggest concern moving forward is how to provide services for the kids,” Gustavo Padilla with the California School Employees Association told NBC 7.
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He added that he hopes the union and the district can get together and find a solution that would work for all.
Another union, the Administrators Association of San Diego decided to take a shorter work year and less pay, rather than lose more workers. Principals, vice principals, managers and supervisors will work up to 14 fewer days which amounts to a five percent pay cut. This way, no more of its members will lose their jobs.
“We took the pay reduction knowing it would be a financial impact on the management team," said the union’s Executive Director and CEO Donis Coronel. "But we still have work to be done and we still have kids out there who need to be supported. So that’s the decision of our union.”
The union representing school police, on the other hand, voted during the meeting to lose three more of its members rather than work a shorter work year for less money. That brings the total number of positions lost to 25.
The district said they could get more state money after Governor Jerry Brown's budget plan released in May and lay off notices could be rescinded.
