Teachers across Santa Cruz County are starting to receive their pink slips as the state continues to struggle with its deficit. Over 23,000 pink slips are being sent to everyone who works in education across California this week. Almost no one is immune, regardless of whether they’re a principal or a janitor. Though final notices will only be sent out in the middle of May, just using last year as an indicator suggests that some 60 percent of the people receiving the pink slips will end up losing their jobs.
Santa Cruz City Schools sent pink slips to 80 employees, while Pajaro Valley Unified School District sent out another 275. In addition, some 120 adult education workers could lose their jobs. Soquel Union Elementary School District sent out 25 pink slips, while Scotts Valley sent out eight.
Not all the pink slips mean that teachers will be losing their jobs, however. Many will see their hours reduced, and some of the employees work part-time. Nevertheless, the schools are still working out strategies to avoid the worst scenarios. In Santa Cruz City, 41 teachers have agreed to retire at the end of the school year in exchange for 80 percent of their salary. They are also considering a furlough, like the one adopted in San Jose. There, no teachers lost their positions, but all staff will be teaching five fewer days next year.
Over the next few days, education officials across the county will consider what non-teaching staff to cut.
Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
