There are 71 teachers and administrators in the Hollister School District who will receive notices by March 15 telling them they could lose their jobs in the 2010-11 school year to fill a nearly $6.5 million deficit, the superintendent told the Free Lance on Monday.
The county's largest school district, with an operational budget of about $40 million, is set to experience widespread cuts that Superintendent Ron Crates said will have a "terrible impact."
"It's going to increase class sizes significantly," he said. "The majority of cuts are increasing class sizes."
The district's current policy calls for class sizes in kindergarten through third grade of one to 24 students, although that number is set to increase to 30 next year. From fourth grade on, the policy is one to 35 students.
Crates did stress that the final number of layoffs for teachers and administrators - the district also will examine cutting other areas as well - will remain largely undetermined as the state's finances for next year become increasingly clear with time. He pointed to the governor's May revise of the budget as the next milestone in determining a more precise reduction.
"That's not going to be the total reduction," he said. "Because of not knowing what the state budget is, we're pushed between a rock and a hard place."
It would be the third consecutive year for the Hollister School District to implement layoffs - with the state's dire finances compounding its issues with declining enrollment, which affects California's funding allocation to local jurisdictions.
The Hollister School District Board of Trustees at its meeting last week gave authorization to district staff officials to give notices to the affected employees, though the specific people have not been identified yet.
Crates noted how the proposal calls for laying off several administrative positions, such as the chief business official, two assistant superintendents, two and a half principal positions and three assistant principals.
Look for more on this story in the Pinnacle on Friday.
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