School districts are laying off hundreds of staff members under the combined weight of enrollment loss and the end of ESSER funding. Here’s how one district is carrying out the steep cuts predicted by some education experts.
California’s Santa Ana Unified School District on Monday initiated the layoffs of more than 260 employees, the Orange County Register reports. Santa Ana USD has lost more than 10,000 students since the 2018-29 school year while its budget deficit has grown to around $154 million, according to the district’s website.
The last time the district issued layoff notices was in 2017.
The impact of ESSER
Santa Ana USD spokesperson Fermin Leal told the Orange County Register that the district used ESSER dollars to hire nearly 400 new employees, prioritizing counselors and teachers. As a result, most of the layoffs include folks in those groups, which are expected to save the district about $30 million…