L.A. school board to discuss layoffs

The Los Angeles school board is scheduled to vote this afternoon on whether to authorize sending about 2,300 layoff notices to teachers because of budgetary concerns.

The move could potentially save the district up to $65 million and would mostly target elementary school teachers. Because of the state deficit, L.A. Unified is expecting at least a $250-million shortfall in its
$6-billion general fund budget this year. The board voted last summer to slash nearly $400 million from the current budget.

District officials have said that, even if the measure passes today, they will not send the notices until the state’s fiscal picture becomes clearer. But they have also made it clear that layoffs are inevitable.
Teachers union representatives have vowed to fight the measure.

-- Jason Song