School Board to Vote on Final Teacher Layoffs

Five individuals may receive official notice of their termination as teachers for the 2013-2014 academic year when the Hermosa Beach City School District school board voted on the move Tuesday night.

The cuts should come as no surprise given that pink slips were given to 18 certificated staff members earlier this year to meet state notification requirements of a teacher's potential job loss.

Due to teachers already on leave, asking for new leaves or resigning, the projected 18 positions has been whittled down to 4.6, said Patricia Escalante, district superintendent, and include two elementary school teachers, one middle school elective subject teacher, a middle school physical education teacher and a counselor.

Escalante, however, envisions bringing each of the teachers back, including another 5 or 6 temporary teachers who have already been let go, and informing them before the last day of school, June 25, due to the Hermosa Beach Educational Foundation's fundraising.

HBEF has been raising funds for class-size reduction. HBCSD's teacher layoff calculations are based on a 30 students to 1 teacher ratio, she said.

"We're really working hard to keep our teachers informed all along the way," she said. "We want them to feel whole when they leave for summer and we want them to be thinking about the next school year and not worrying about employment or looking for a job.

"It is very unnerving to be given a layoff notice," she said, having received them during her career as an educator.

In addition to HBEF's projected financial contribution, which Escalante called "on track" to meet the goal of zero layoffs, a former educator who lives in the city donated $100,000 to the cause.

"It was a big surprise," she said. "It's easy for corporations to decide to give significant amounts to fund education and for people with vast fortunes to support education or not." 

Escalante said the resident wanted to save schools, noting that when the donor saw kids in the neighborhood, the students would say how much they loved their teachers and school experience. 

HBCSD educates students from kindergarten through 8th grade at two schools: Hermosa View Elementary and Hermosa Valley Middle.

Last year, the district was able to rescind the 10 layoff notices it delivered to teachers, due in large part to HBEF's fundraising.

"Parents and the community are certainly committed to making our schools the best they can be," she said of HBEF's fundraising efforts.

For several years now, school districts statewide have been experiencing annual budget issues, resulting in the unwieldy practice of approving preliminary layoff notices, final layoff notices and hopefully their withdrawal.

The HBCSD board meeting was held at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in Hermosa Beach City Council Chambers, 1315 Valley drive at city hall.

• Previously: School District Passes Out 18 Pink Slips
• Previously: PHOTOS: Hearts of Hermosa Evening Gala
• Previously: Give Hermosa Your Heart
• Previously: Great Teachers in the Community
• Previously: 
• Previously: Hearts of Hermosa is Auctioning off Surfboards that Students Made
• Previously: Hearts for the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation
• Previously: Hearts of Hermosa Fundraiser a Success
• Previously: Hearts are Beating for Hermosa Beach Education Foundation's Annual Event