The Anaheim Union High School District’s (AUHSD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to continue to follow through with the Certificated Reduction in Force (RIF) at their May 7 meeting.

Seven teachers who did not request to participate in the layoff hearings were approved to receive their final layoff notice prior to the May 15 deadline as per state Education Code. The remaining teachers who are participating in the hearings will not likely be given final layoff notices until sometime in June, following the Board’s consideration of the Administrative Law Judge’s recommendation.

The hearings, held at Katella High School’s Royal Crown Theater, are part of due process for the 167 teachers who received RIF notices. The hearings were initially scheduled from April 23 to April 26 but were extended another five days: May 2, 14, 20, 22, and 23. These new dates include three of the four final days of this school year. The hearings also extended the state’s original deadline of May 15 for the final RIF list into mid-June. Teachers will not know if they will keep their job or should be searching the job market until several weeks into summer vacation.

Preceding the Board’s vote on May 7, AUHSD students, teachers, and community members spoke out on the layoffs and the effects of the RIF hearing process on students.

“The last week of school should  celebrate the accomplishments of our students and teachers and staff,” Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association President Geoff Morganstern said at the May 7 Board meeting. “Instead, the dark cloud of layoffs will hang over the end of the school year, overshadowing…excitement and joy.”

“There are at least 100 of us who are sitting in these meetings [instead of] with our students,” said Cypress High School teacher Shelly Hawkins. “The district has decided to continue this charade taking me out of the classroom for eight days instead of allowing me time with my students who are so desperately trying to keep me.”

“The emotional toll on us will continue to grow as our fate remains in limbo. We will try to find jobs among the scraps that are left over after everyone else had a month-long head start,” said Oxford math teacher Randy Douthat.

Cypress High School junior Jade Hoang criticized an AUHSD-hosted student forum held on March 20 to discuss the RIF notices.

“The lack of reporting of what transpired at the event is strange, especially considering the demonization of misinformation, yet there’s no record of the information that’s deemed ‘correct,’” Hoang said. “We asked [Mr. Matsuda] about the specificity of our district’s budget and reserve…[he] suddenly spoke about the teachers’ salaries and how we ‘couldn’t have it all,’ as in the teachers’ health benefits and high salaries for every teacher, when that wasn’t the question whatsoever.”

In an interview with The Gamut following the meeting, AUHSD Trustee Brian O’Neal said that misinformation is circulating regarding the district’s budget and reason for the RIFs. He responded to the alleged misinformation by pointing to Figure 16 of the district’s second interim budget report of the 2023-24 year. The data illustrated a projected $57 million deficit to the district’s budget with staff reductions, compared to a $68 million deficit without.

Assistant Superintendent of Business Dr. Nancy Nien addressed the budget issue during a presentation at the March 7 Board meeting.

“Currently, our district has a very favorable accreditation rating. If we do not take action, there’s a possibility we may not be able to save taxpayer dollars [and] be filing a qualified budget to the county,” Dr. Nien said during the meeting. “Qualifying means the district may or may not be able to provide financial obligations. This kind of negative financial statement has jeopardies.”

Morganstern is aware of the district’s budget implications. He believes, however, that there is a more collaborative, compassionate way of approaching the matter.

“Working with the district, and all the other community partners, we can figure out a way to manage declining enrollment,” Morgenstern said. “There are going to be less students and less teachers, but how we go about achieving that goal together is important. And the way the district has chosen to do it is simply just to lay off teachers and disregard them as individuals.”

“This problem can be resolved without jeopardizing the district’s financial solvency or its bond rating,” Morgenstern said. “The district has the money. We believe the budget is very clear that the amount that it would take for them to bring back the teachers would only take 5% of their unrestricted reserves. These are monies that are not set for any program, or any school, or any building.”

Lexington Junior High School teacher Tracy Heck disputed the budget rationale in her comments to the Board.

“Our district is not laying off teachers because we don’t have the money for their positions,” Heck said. “They are firing them because their service is no longer required. The Board no longer requires the service of seasoned teachers? The parents and students do.”

Superintendent Michael Matsuda, Board of Trustees President Annemarie Randle-Trejo, and Trustee Jessica Guerrero declined to comment.