More Than 100 Teachers to Get Layoff Notices

The Elk Grove Unified School District board voted Tuesday night to pink slip 146 teachers and professional staff for the 2012-2013 school year.

The vote to send layoff notices took place just moments after a vocal crowd of protesting teachers left the board's meeting chambers. It's part of the latest round of budget cuts in the district.

District spokesperson Elizabeth Graswich said she expects many of the layoffs to be reversed later in the year as teachers voluntarily retire, freeing up funds. Last year, the district sent pink slips to hundreds of teachers for the 2011-2012 school year, only to rescind most of those notices later in the spring.

The bulk of the cuts would come at elementary schools, which would lose about 108 teachers. Some of the layoffs are due to declining enrollment in the district, which affects state funding, Graswich said.

The district's collective bargaining contract with the Elk Grove Education Association requires that any teachers slated for layoff be notified by March 15 of the previous school year.

Officials also plan to eliminate about 90 support staff positions represented by other unions, Graswich said.