Worst-case scenario: School district could lay off 94 teachers

If ongoing negotiations between the Hesperia Unified School District and employee unions do not result in approximately 5 percent being cut from next school year's budget, 94 teachers could lose their jobs.

California Education Code says that public school districts cannot lay off teachers after March 15 of the prior school year; any teachers who have not received a pink slip by March 15 will know they've got a job for the 2010-2011 school year -- even if the state's budget picture gets worse, the district can't lay them off. (Approximately 70 percent of the district's funding comes from state funding, and 90 percent of the non-restricted spending the district is able to do is in salary and benefits.) Non-teacher employees must be notified by 45 days before the new school year starts.

Thus public school districts like the HUSD must pink slip all the teachers they might need to in the next few weeks. The Hesperia school board is expected to do so at their Feb. 8 meeting.

The cuts include the equivalent of 94 teachers -- the number is actually 94 Full Time Equivalents, where multiple part-timers can add up to a single teacher -- barring any last minute changes by the board at Monday's meeting. (This paper will go to print before the meeting takes place: Check HesperiaStar.com on Monday night for any updates or changes.)

There are 44 elementary teachers who will be receiving pink slips, including 14 elementary intervention teachers, a data analysis teacher, 23 elementary classroom teachers and three elementary music teachers.

There are 12 middle school teachers that will receive pink slips, including four math/science teachers, two reading/language arts teachers, an English teacher, a math teacher, a social science teacher, a home economics teacher and two physical education teachers.

There will be 41 high school teachers that will receive pink slips, including seven English teachers, six social science teachers, three physical science teachers, seven math teachers, three physical education teachers, a Spanish teacher, a German teacher, a business teacher, two art teachers, a music teacher, a "skill builder" teacher, a family consumer science teacher, a construction technology, an AVID college-preparatory teacher, two ROTC teachers, a Cal-Safe teacher, and two night program teachers.

Who gets pink slips is based on a list of 13 criteria, starting with seniority (the least senior teachers getting cut first). The list also looks at teaching credentials, whether or not the teacher has taught in the district in the last three years, experience at different grade levels, experience teaching different subjects, experience at different sites, what sort of credentials and degrees a teacher has, special training and the teacher's most recent evaluation. If all else fails, and teachers are tied, the names were picked by a lottery.

The next regular meeting of the HUSD school board will be held on Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. in the HUSD Educational Support Center Annex, 15576 Main Street.

Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 760-956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Hesperia.Star