CALEXICO — Eighty-nine Calexico Unified School District employees may receive pink slips after the district’s Thursday night meeting.
The district has to serve the pink slips before the March 15 educational code deadline, so more than likely the resolution for the pink slips will be passed in order to be in compliance.
Whether all those employees have actually lost their jobs won’t be known until May, Calexico Unified Superintendent Richard Fragale said.
“If we can find some of the money, we’ll bring them back. It’s the worst part of the year for me,” he said.
He said he finds the notice requirement “unfair” and feels the notices would be more appropriately done in May or June instead to avoid unnecessary stress and decrease in morale.
“The one in March just gets them all upset and has to affect their teaching. I’m sure it affects some of them emotionally,” he said. “All of a sudden you hear you might not have a paycheck next year.”
Those who would receive the slips were chosen based on the program they’re employed with, Fragale said, and if definitely let go, the loss would increase class size ratios to 1 to 30 from 1 to 22.8.
He added that the focus was on reducing programs instead of eliminating them as much as possible.
The agenda also includes resolutions to reduce the adult education program and eliminate the preschool program.
If cut, the district will save $329,400 annually. Fragale said cutting that program has been common for school districts facing fiscal crises.
Three teachers are employed in the program and are included in the list of potential pink slips.
The adult education district costs the district $420,000 a year and may be reduced from four to one teacher, reducing costs by $375,594.
Speaker coming
A return visit by motivational speaker Zach Clements today will result in about $60,000in savings from the Calexico Unified School District general fund, according to its superintendent.
The district has a few million dollars in categorical funds for staff development, Fragale said, and needs to use the funds in order to receive the same amount next year.
Staff will be taking time out to hear Clements speak this afternoon, and so their salaries and benefits for that time will then come out of the categorical funds instead of the general fund, Fragale explained.
About $6,000 is being spent on Clements himself. Clements spoke to the teachers in August and has been a motivational speaker for 25 years. He has also held positions as a teacher and university professor.
“Hopefully it will be a shot in the arm. That’s what I’m hoping. They know they’ll get some lay-off notices and hopefully he’ll make their day brighter,” Fragale said.
Staff Writer Chelcey Adami can be reached at 760-337-3452 or cadami@ivpressonline.com
This article has been updated to clarify a statement.
