Read the full article by Lizeth Tello at Sacramento News & Review
Sacramento City Unified School District is facing a major financial deficit of $170.5 million that has left it scrambling to avoid state receivership. Though more state funding is on its way with the revised state budget, Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) Chief Executive Officer Michael Fine warned on May 7 that the funds would not be enough to fully mitigate the district’s risk.
The district sent final layoff notices to 503 employees on May 15, their latest action taken amid facing fiscal insolvency. With these staff reductions, it was projected by the district that it would save around $23 million. It was one of many hard decisions to come for the school board.
“I didn’t sleep much at all last night because I knew what this meeting was,” said Taylor Kayatta, SCUSD’s first vice president. “Every single one of those positions, not only is it a person, but it’s a job that is being performed for this district. They are doing real work.”