20 Feb Pittsburg Could Cut Vice Principals’ Hours to Save Other School Jobs

The Pittsburg school board on Wednesday discussed possible cuts made necessary by a budget deficit. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The Pittsburg Unified School District on Wednesday outlined $16.7 million in cuts over the next two years that would have resulted in almost 20 employees being laid off and various non-personnel reductions. But officials want to increase cuts — and save jobs in the process.

Board members said some of the initial recommended $3.8 million in personnel cuts for the 2025-26 school year, which included three custodian positions and 1.5 full-time parent and family liaisons, should instead be a reduction of work for some higher-paid vice principals. The change, they say, could result in higher cuts without cutting as many jobs.

The special meeting was a continuation of a Feb. 12 meeting where PUSD lost internet connection before the board could discuss the cuts.

“Unfortunately, we are in this reality where we have to make cuts. We’re all going to feel it,” said board president Heliodoro Moreno.

Moreno said this might mean, for example, that vice principals would not be at one school every day to assist with school operations. That could mean three days at a school one week and two days the next, he said.

“I feel, to be fair, we should cut more from the top at the sites,” said Moreno. “Just looking at these numbers, I can’t agree with cutting all these other positions and then leaving all the assistant and vice principals the way they’re looking right now.”

Moreno recommended that the parent and family liaisons, one custodian and two teachers on special assignment not be cut. Four elementary vice principal positions would be cut under Moreno’s recommendation.

Board members’ recommendations to reduce hours rather than lay off several workers came after those potentially impacted by the cuts urged them at Wednesday’s meeting to keep those positions.

“I really do believe that we can get through this, and we don’t have to have people losing their jobs,” said Sean Sturgis, president of Pittsburg’s California School Employees Association chapter, which represents classified employees.

Board member De’Shawn Woolridge said he understood the importance of the employees that could be impacted by the proposed cuts, but Woolridge and board member George Miller wondered how that might add to the workload of principals.

“Are other positions going to have to pick up the load of the positions that were cut? That’s true for all positions, unfortunately,” Moreno said.

The proposed cuts come as the district attempts to address a projected multiyear $20.3 million deficit caused by the expiration of one-time COVID funding, increasing special education costs, and declining average daily attendance.

The ADA determines a district’s funding and has dropped by 5% since pre-COVID, resulting in an approximately $9 million loss in revenue for the next three years, according to PUSD.

>>>Read: WCCUSD Proposes More Cuts, Says Higher Attendance Could Prevent Them<<<

Superintendent Janet Schulze said in her report that the reductions “are not a surprise” and that officials were making cuts even before COVID.

Schulze also said the district is trying to improve the budget in ways outside of making cuts. Those include having Saturday school and attendance incentives.

“Our schools are starting to use empathy interviews to really determine the root cause (of poor attendance) and how they can provide support through our community schools initiative,” she said.

Schulze said some factors are not yet considered in the deficit, including a $3 million grant PUSD could receive and any raises for the next school year. Still, more cuts will likely be necessary next year.

“We will be back here next year,” she said at the Feb. 12 meeting. “Unless there’s a dramatic change in the state budget, we will continue to have to do reductions next school year.”

Board members will vote on reductions for the 2025-26 school year at the next Pittsburg Unified school board meeting on Feb. 26.