The San Diego Unified School Board voted Tuesday to eliminate more than 200 positions to keep a balanced budget for next year. Not all of the positions being cut are currently filled.
Layoff notices will be given to 37 teachers and 66 non-teaching positions which could include jobs like bus drivers, clerks and maintenance workers.
"We don’t like to do layoffs," said San Diego Unified's Chief Human Resource Officer Acacia Thede at the board meeting. "It’s not something that we want to do but in times when there are changes and a lack of funding we have to live within our means."
Thede said the cuts are based on the current needs of students and were determined by schools instead of by the district.
RELATED: San Diego Unified Looks Ahead To More — But Smaller — Budget Cuts
"In years past we have made decisions to say we will eliminate x,y,z positions in order to find a budget savings — that was not part of the work this year," Thede said.
Some teachers could also move to teach other subjects and classes.
"Many of our credentialed staff in the district hold more than one credential," Thede said. "That allows them instead of being laid off to be placed into another assignment."
Thede said the district is also adding more than 100 non-teaching positions for the upcoming year and there had to be cuts to make room for different types of positions.
"There are a mix of positions to be eliminated and a mix of positions that need to be added," she said. "In order to make those changes the board actually has to take an action to eliminate them so that we can add."
The number of cuts could also be reduced before a final budget is due in June.
"Between now and the end of the school year many things happen that affect this. There are retirements, there are resignations, promotions and other changes," Thede said. The district could also receive more state funding.
You can hear this story and other local news every morning by subscribing to San Diego Stories, KPBS’ daily news podcast. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play or your favorite podcatcher.
