San Diego Unified Walks Back Majority of Teacher Layoffs

District officials announced Thursday that they had rescinded 96 percent of the layoff notices issued in March. Of the 234 preliminary layoffs issued, 225 of them had been rescinded.

In a statement, district spokesperson Maureen Magee wrote the reversal came after an analysis of revenue trends and expenses and by taking advantage of retirements and resignations that limited the need for actual layoffs.

“Despite a significant deficit, I am proud that through data-driven planning that prioritized children’s needs, we have developed a fiscally sound budget with limited impacts on our tremendous educators,” Board President Shana Hazan wrote in the statement.

How we got here: In July, district officials announced they were projecting a massive budget deficit that could reach as high as $128 million. 

The district was weathering a mixture of financial headwinds from the expiration of Covid stimulus dollars, a continued decline in enrollment and a tightening state budget. A new union contract that granted big raises to teachers also added to costs, though district officials have denied they influenced the deficit.

Officials said they were confident they would be able to balance the books without resorting to layoffs. But in March, they announced teacher layoffs were imminent. Over the following months, both teachers and students rallied against the layoffs.

Still, despite the good news for this year, the district is likely to face another deficit – and more tough financial decisions – next year.

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