Nine LCUSD teachers to get pink slips

Faced with the need to eliminate 15 teaching positions for the 2011-2012 school year and expecting six educators to retire, the La CañadaUnified School District on Wednesday unanimously approved layoff notices to nine temporary teachers.

The decision to give the nine teachers pink slips was made under the assumption that Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed tax extensions will not be adopted by the state Legislature, thus bringing further cuts to state education funding.

The board also unanimously adopted a second-interim financial report that braces for more reductions. Assistant Superintendent Wendy Sinnette, who is poised to take over as superintendent at the retirement of Jim Stratton this year, said the state’s budget quagmire and resulting uncertainties for the local district make it difficult to predict staffing levels for next year.

“We have so many unknowns with the current budget that we don’t know what the openings will be,” Sinnette said. “When the dominoes fall and we see what openings exist we can match up our priorities with what needs to be filled.”

-Andrew Shortall