California school districts are once again resorting to layoffs to balance budgets strained by declining enrollment, the expiration of federal Covid relief funds, and stagnant state funding. So far, over 2,300 school employees have received preliminary layoff notices, with more expected in the coming weeks.
According to the California Teachers Association (CTA), which represents 300,000 school employees, more than 2,000 of these pink slips have been issued to credentialed staff, including teachers, school nurses, and librarians.
State law mandates that districts notify employees of potential layoffs by March 15 each year. While many of these notices are later rescinded—especially before the May 15 deadline for final layoff decisions affecting tenured teachers—the practice is widely criticized for demoralizing staff and disrupting school operations.
“Layoffs are devastating and chaotic to our school communities and harm student learning conditions,” said CTA President David Goldberg. “This is even happening in communities like Pasadena, where educators and students lost their homes in wildfires. Our union will not stand by. We will demand that every single one of these notices is rescinded in the coming weeks.”
Pasadena Unified has issued 117 preliminary layoff notices, including 115 to credentialed staff.
Districts Tried to Minimize Layoffs
Some districts explored alternatives to large-scale layoffs, such as offering early retirement incentives. San Francisco provided buyouts to 300 veteran teachers and staff, while Santa Ana Unified extended the option to 166 teachers. Despite these efforts, both districts are still cutting jobs.
According to CTA data, San Francisco Unified and Santa Ana Unified have issued the highest number of layoff notices in the state. San Francisco Unified notified 395 teachers of potential layoffs, while Santa Ana Unified initially issued 351 pink slips. However, Santa Ana Unified Chief Business Officer Ron Hacker confirmed that the number has since dropped to 280.
