Palo Alto Unified School District faces possible layoffs amid multimillion budget deficit

A northern California school district is facing $33 million in budget cuts for the next school year, which could lead to significant layoffs. Palo Alto Unified School District’s new superintendent, Jason Glass, says figuring out how to close the district’s budget gap will be the school board’s most important task over the next two years — and he expects the process to be painful.It comes as other school districts in the state struggle financially as well: The Sacramento City Unified School District is also scrambling to avoid a state takeover after county education officials recently rejected its financial rescue plan.As for Palo Alto, Glass said he expects finger-pointing, personal attacks and arguments that the district is bloated or could solve its financial problems simply by spending less on things such as paper, lightbulbs and copy machines, according to the Palo Alto Daily Post.But the deficit is too large for those kinds of savings to make up the difference, Glass said, meaning the board will have to consider eliminating programs, services and jobs that are otherwise considered valuable.“We’re going to have to fire people,” board member Shounak Dharap said during an Aug.18 meeting, according to the Daily Post.“These conversations are going to make people scared and angry.

We have to have them anyways,” Glass said.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story The district will first try to limit layoffs by leaving vacant positions unfilled and moving existing employees into other jobs, Glass said.The cuts have already reached the district office, where Glass has decided not to fill some administrative positions.Board member Shana Segal said she wants the board to discuss making another attempt to renew the district’s parcel tax t...