ORANGE : Proposed School Layoffs Protested

About 150 union members, teachers and parents packed the boardroom of the Orange Unified School District this week to protest the proposed layoffs of 79 classified employees.

After the district signed a two-year contract with the classified workers earlier this month, Supt. Norman Guith gathered school principals and employees at the district office last week to announce the proposed cuts.

The announcement took union officials by surprise, said Becky Mayers, union representative for Local 67 of the Classified School Employees Assn.

“This is about the coldest thing I think I’ve ever seen,” Mayers said. “Usually we are conferred with about layoffs.”

Mayers said the union agreed to approve retirement incentives and made other concessions during negotiations to avert staff cuts.

“We were told during negotiations that there would be some layoffs,” Mayers said. “They never indicated there would be seventy-some people.”

The layoffs, which would save the district $1.2 million in one year, would affect workers with the least seniority, including 39 school clerks, 22 maintenance workers and 10 employees from the district office.

“We have a lot of ideas on how we can offset layoffs, but we have to be given the chance,” Mayers said.

A flurry of protests following last week’s announcement prompted the school board to schedule meetings to discuss the issue later this month.

Board President Jeff Holstien said the district administration may have moved prematurely in proposing the layoffs before examining all options. Holstien said the board “would explore every possible source of income” before resorting to layoffs.

“This board of education cares about the employees of the district and plans to do everything in its power to treat its employees with care and humanity,” Holstien said.

School board members plan to discuss the issue at the Dec. 6 board meeting.