An East San Jose school district is laying off employees on the heels of declining enrollment, a budget deficit and school closures.
Earlier this month, the Alum Rock Union School District board agreed to pink slip numerous classified employees. It appears managers could be next at the upcoming board meeting Thursday. Affected employees will receive notice no later than March 15.
The district is facing a budget deficit of more than $8 million, spokesperson Sergio Diaz Luna said, and is projected to increase to $9.5 million in the 2027-28 academic year due to a loss of grant funding. Due to the multimillion-dollar shortfall, school administrators recommended the board agree to layoffs for the 2026-27 school year. Diaz Luna said up to 38 employees could lose their jobs. Forty-three positions are being cut, but five are vacant.
“The board has a really hard decision to make to help balance the budget,” he told San José Spotlight. “They’re trying as best they can to limit the cuts so they don’t affect the classroom. One of the ways to do that is cut at the district office and cut ancillary services. That’s why we also saw a restructuring of staff at the district office level.”
The layoffs will affect numerous positions including administrative assistant, bus driver, bus upholsterer, child nutrition assistant, custodian, health assistant, mechanic, office assistant, printing technician, school administrative assistant, school office assistant, wellness site specialist and liaison.
A representative for the California School Employees Association, the union for some of the employees affected by layoffs, told San José Spotlight the Alum Rock chapter president can’t speak about the job cuts at this time.
Two years ago, the board voted to close six schools in the 2025-26 school year as the cash-strapped district dealt with a $20 million budget deficit. The loss of one-time federal COVID dollars and a steep drop in enrollment — from more than 10,000 students in 2015-16 to approximately 7,270 students in 2024-25 — added to the decision.
Parents and teachers spoke out at the Feb. 12 board meeting in support of school liaisons, saying they’re the backbone of their schools and help with translation, communication, parent engagement and connecting families to services and resources. The board voted unanimously to enact the layoffs except for the school liaisons and wellness center site specialists.
At the following Feb. 19 meeting, board members decided to cut three community liasons instead of five. The district will terminate six wellness center site specialists as grant money from Valley Health Foundation ends. But four will be rehired under a new job description, paid for by a community school’s grant from the state.
“Community liaisons, they are the ones who keep the families at the school,” parent Yvette Marquez told San José Spotlight. “Navigating the school system is difficult. I can’t imagine what it’s like for parents who don’t speak (English). They need those community liaisons. How can you want students and families to be part of your school but not provide the support to make them feel safe and comfortable?”
While the district will only offer wellness site specialists at schools with middle school students, Marquez said children need assistance with mental health at a younger age. Diaz Luna said there are other programs to help elementary school students, as well as community school site specialists and counselors.
Trustee Minh Pham said he would have appreciated the board and community having “significantly more time from the administration” for input and deliberation. He said administrators need to give more than one week’s notice to the board to collaborate on ways to protect as many frontline workers as possible.
“It hurts me deeply to see hardworking staff members of the district lose their positions,” he told San José Spotlight. “Unfortunately, not all positions could be saved.”
The next Alum Rock Union School District board meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 at 2930 Gay Ave. in San Jose.
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].
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