36 teachers, 7 administrators on YC block

Layoff notices for 43 positions won approval from a majority of Yuba City Unified School District trustees on Tuesday.

The board, citing a March 15 state deadline for such actions, believe that significantly fewer jobs will be lost.

"Tonight is not the end," Fred Northern, president of the board of trustees, said. "It's a process."

The 36 teaching positions and seven administrators affected must be informed that they may not have jobs next school year.

"This is what might happen," Trustee Sharman Kobay-ashi said.

Baldev Johal, deputy superintendent of business services for the school district, said the actions were needed to "preserve the board's flexibility to address the budget issue."

The district faces a $3.8 million shortfall after reductions in state funding.

Trustees James Ferreira and Lonetta Riley opposed the layoff notice-related resolutions, citing concerns that too many cuts were coming at the classroom level.

Consultants and district office staff should be cut as well, Ferreira said.

"I'm not willing to notice a bunch of teachers and not notice anyone at the higher end," he said.

Riley cited the need to reduce the budget shortfall and said, "I just continue to be co cerned that we are still looking at the classrooms to do that."

Trustees Mary Henson and Herb Cooley supported sending the layoff notices. There was some confusion about the official vote by Trustee Steven Scriven, who said after the meeting he was part of the majority as well.

About 710 teachers are in the Yuba City school district, which also employees 54 administrators.

Dina Luetgens, president of the Yuba City Teachers Association, told trustees that they'd heard frustrations from employees who indicated they aren't sure what all the people at the district office do.

Luetgens said she's not suggesting district office work isn't important — and said improved communications could resolve frustrations.

Riley agreed on the need to inform people about the work done at the district office.

"People really don't know what you do here," Riley said.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ryan McCarthy at 749-4707 or rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com.