School District to Lay Off Five Teachers

The Martinez Unified School District will lay off five certificated teachers at its board meeting Monday night, the result of a $2.4 million budget cut.

All five are elementary school teachers, but only one is a permanent employee. The others are a substitute teacher, a contract employee and two probationary employees. The cuts mean that class sizes will rise to 30 per class in grades K-3.

Assistant Superintendent Rick Rubino noted that the district will consider future layoffs if the state budget process continues to cut education funding. If further cuts are determined to be necessary, they will be considered at the March 14 school board meeting.

The district, like every other school district in California, is facing one of several scenarios for the 2011-2012 school year that could mean drastic cuts or even draconian ones depending on what voters decide to do.

Gov. Jerry Brown is asking the Legislature to let voters decide in June on a five-year extension on certain taxes – including auto and sales taxes – that would result in a local cut to education of $20 per student, or about $77,000 if approved, according to district budget official Liz Robbins. If voters do not approve the extension or the Legislature does not allow it on the ballot, the cuts will result in a $1.2 million loss in funds, or about $300 per student, she estimates.

The worst-case scenario would be the suspension of a 1988 law that requires the state to spend 40 percent of its budget on education. If Proposition 98 is suspended, it would result in a loss of more than $600 per student.

The school board meets Monday at 7 p.m. at the district office building board room, 921 Susana St.