Co achella Valley Unified School District Cuts Teachers, Preschool (CA)
July 19, 2010
Parents and teachers again spilled into the hallway and outside the Coachella Valley Unified School District’s cramped boardroom, this time protesting the possible elimination of preschool.
After hearing an hour of testimony Thursday night from parents and teachers supporting the educational and social opportunities of state preschool and child care, the board voted voted 4-2 to lay off about 60 employees, effective Aug. 31.
Members Manuel Jarvis Martinez and Juanita Duarte voted no and board president Elizabeth Toledo was absent.
Chants of “save our schools” and “preschool” could be heard from inside the boardroom, which seats about 60, though much of the meeting could not be heard from the hallway. About an hour into the meeting fire officials were called out to clear the hallway.
The layoffs include 17 teachers and 41 teacher aides and effectively eliminate the state-funded preschool and child care programs that serve about 420 students of parents who must be working or going to school and meet income requirements.
Deanna Mendoza was struggling to pay $600 a month for her twin sons while she worked and went to school, until she found the program, she told the board.
“I’m very grateful to the program because not only has it helped them, but it has helped me to finish my education,” Mendoza said.
The program helped Josué, 5, learn to express himself verbally, learn to write and control his temper, said Margie Sanchez, an aide at Palm View Elementar y’s child care center.
Josué, who has speech problems, is being cared for by his 85-year-old grandfather and has no other family in the area, Sanchez said.
Others suggested the district look elsewhere to find the cuts.
“We already have to cut $16 million, so where do we find another $2 million?” Superintendent Ricardo Medina asked, after suggesting that the community should take their concerns to the state.
The financially strapped district passed a budget unbalanced by about $6 million, even after making $10 million in cuts, including laying off about 100 teachers and school employees and increasing class sizes.
The preschool and child care programs for 3- to 5-year-olds are funded by the state, which is not providing any money for them until a final state budget is passed.
The district must give preschool employees at least 30 days notice, so they must make layoff decisions before the state budget is finalized.
Desert Sands Unified School District may also eliminate its child development center due to proposed state funding cuts, said Kathy Felci, assistant superintendent of educational services.
The board of education will consider the program July 20.
Palm Springs Unified School District’s funding for state preschool and does not plan on changes.
Coachella Valley Unified’s Head Start program, which is federally funded and serves 340 students whose families are at the poverty level, will continue.