The Santa Barbara Unified School Board approved the removal of more than 40 certificated full-time equivalent Santa Barbara Unified District employees in an effort to reduce district expenditures on March 11. The “Reduction in Force” (RIF) would start to take effect in the 2025-26 school year. All SBUSD staff who are slated to receive lay-off notices will be notified before March 15, while all confirmed lay-offs will be announced before May 15. 

District administrators told the board that they must cut $9 million from the budget for the upcoming school year. 

“If we don’t get to the $9 million mark, we’ll be in real trouble,” said Board President Gabe Escobedo. 

The reduction would impact Dos Pueblos High School across six different departments, with 13 DPHS employees, including teachers and counselors, receiving a notification of the RIF. Additionally, some temporary staff members will not receive a new contract for the next school year.  

The board said the “significant reason” for the staff reduction was a result of the expiration of federal and state government COVID-19 relief funds that aided school districts throughout the pandemic. The relief funds were initially established in 2021, and, at the time, SBUSD invested in mental health services, COVID-19 safety supplies, and the increase in staff members.

SBUSD recognized that, once the relief funds had expired, the newly established positions would either have to transition into general funds and be incorporated in the Local Control and Accountability Plan or be discontinued.

“I think we need to be talking about where else we can cut,” said board member Celeste Kafri. “How do we impact students as little as possible?”

Declining enrollment in the district, uncertainty of income from property taxes, and budget uncertainty at the federal level were other reasons that the district said RIF notices were needed. 

“I think we can reduce the amount we are spending on school site administration,” Kafri said.

On Feb. 25, the board met and approved the certificated seniority list. During the board meeting, the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, John Becchio, said the seniority list would act as a determination system of selected staff “in the event of a Reduction in Force.”

“Does it make sense to right-size management?” Kafri said. “It might. If we have fewer students, maybe we need fewer managers, and we need to have more investment in the arts.”

The district said that it is unsure how the reduction in faculty members could impact student course offerings. 

“The most important thing to do is to not decimate our programs,” said board member Dr. Sunita Beall. “Any reductions should not be at the expense of art and music programs…. We need to not sacrifice the things that help student outcomes but also bring us joy.”

Bella said at the Feb.25 board meeting that the “highest priority” is recognizing the goals of the district’s budget reduction.   

“I want to remind everyone that these recommendations were not made lightly and were completed after an objective, thorough process, including several rounds of problem solving with all leaders in the district,” said Superintendent Hilda Maldonado in the Feb. 25 school board meeting. “Additionally, we had sent a budget survey for the first time to serve valuable feedback from our community. This feedback was incorporated and considered in the difficult recommendation we are presenting to the board.” 

Maldonado said that the district is “committed” to working through the district’s challenges. 

“Next year, our district’s [staff, time, and money] will be different, but the goals to improve student outcomes and experiences will continue to be our ‘north star,’” she said.