Montebello : Notices of Possible Layoff Ordered for All Teachers

For the first time in years, every Montebello Unified School District teacher and administrator will receive a notice of possible termination, officials have confirmed.

The notices give the district the option of laying off any employee who receives one.

Officials sent out the notices because of ongoing budget troubles in the state’s 12th largest school system. The district will have to slash an estimated $6 million to $12 million from next year’s budget and must keep all its budget-cutting options open, said Glenn Sheppard, acting business manager.

School districts are under March deadlines to distribute the notices. Otherwise, they must guarantee employment for next year to all tenured teachers and most administrators. Sheppard said he hoped that few layoffs would be necessary.

Last year, the district had to lay off about 200 employees, most of them contract teachers who lacked tenure protection. The cuts totaled about $28 million--about 22%--of the district’s $101.5-million budget.