East Side Union High School District was set to vote yesterday on a sweeping round of layoffs that district and union sources say would wipe out roughly 85 full-time positions, including counselors, social workers and campus safety advisors. Staff members and students warned the move would thin already stretched wellness centers, push caseloads even higher and strip away critical college-planning support across East San Jose campuses.
The proposal appeared on the board's regular meeting agenda for 6 PM, with the public invited to weigh in either in person at the district education center at 830 N. Capitol Avenue or by tuning in to the district's online meeting feed, according to the East Side Union High School District.
What the cuts would target
As reported by The Mercury News, the layoff list includes five campus safety advisors, seven social workers and eight counselors, along with wellness-center clerks, parent outreach coordinators and several special-education teachers. In all, about 85 full-time roles are on the chopping block. The teachers' union estimates the reductions would shave roughly $6.5 million from personnel costs. The paper also reported that the district is staring at a projected $9 million budget deficit for 2026-27 and faces a risk of insolvency if it does not secure deeper, longer-term savings.
Union and staff push back
The East Side Teachers Association has urged trustees to spread cuts more evenly and to shield student-facing services, arguing that administrators should take reductions before site-level staff. Local coverage has detailed months of tense bargaining and budget showdowns between the union and district leaders as they grapple with declining enrollment and rising expenses, a saga San José Spotlight has tracked closely.
What comes next and the legal timeline
If trustees sign off on the reductions, affected certificated employees would receive preliminary layoff notices, and the district would have to follow state reduction-in-force rules that generally require notices by March 15 and give staff the right to a hearing, according to the California Education Code and related guidance. Parents, students and union leaders say they plan to keep pressing the board for other ways to balance the books and for clearer strategies to keep wellness centers staffed. The district has posted the full agenda and supporting documents online for public review.
