Pomona School District School Staffers Facing More Layoffs

Just three weeks after issuing layoff notices to 108 staffers, the Pomona Unified School District will discuss handing out another 27 notices.

The board members will discuss the issue tonight at the regular school board meeting, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. open public session at the Education Center Board Room, 800 S. Garey Avenue in Pomona.

Meantime, the Associated Teachers group plans to hold an informational meeting at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the district’s Strategic Planning Room at the District Office, 800 S. Garey Ave. for teachers who received layoff notices, according to a Facebook posting in the group’s site.

The CTA GLS attorney will be present to answer question and to help attendees complete paperwork for representation, organizers said. After School Education and Safety Teachers are invited to a meeting scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday in the downstairs conference room at the Indian Hill Village, organizers said.

The district, which serves parts of Diamond Bar, is in the process of trying to close a $6 million budget deficit, said Darren Knowles, assistant superintendent of personnel. Of the 108 positions eliminated by the board at the March 5 meeting, 30 had been fully funded through a three-year School Improvement Grant, which expires June 30, Knowles said.

The grant had been awarded to Pomona High, Emerson Middle School and Fremont Academy. Of the 17 classified positions the district may cut, about nine had been funded by the SIG grant, Knowles said.

“I certainly don’t want to, and I know that our board does not want to do layoffs. But the reality is that this grant is ending and we can’t continue to fund the positions,” Knowles said. “In addition to that we are also in the process of negotiations right now. Some of those discussions on class size can potentially impact this resolution.”