Los Angeles Unified is staring down a massive budget hole, and thousands of workers are now feeling it in their inboxes.
District officials say a December financial forecast showed an $877 million shortfall for the 2026-27 school year. On Feb. 17, the Board of Education voted 4-3 to authorize preliminary layoff notices that would reach roughly 3,200 employees and could wipe out about 657 central-office and centrally funded positions. District leaders insist classroom teachers and counselors are not part of the proposed cuts.
Board report spells out who gets cut
The board report lists 657 "central office and centrally-funded position closures," including 220 information-technology support technicians, 33 parent-education support assistants, 23 gardeners, and five area bus supervisors, according to the Los Angeles Times. The plan also trims hours for 52 positions and changes the pay basis for 22 employees, moves that the district says are meant to save about $150 million next year.
On paper, it is a central-office diet. In practice, it affects the people who fix computers, keep campuses green, and answer family questions when something goes sideways.
Unions blast plan, float strike threat
Union leaders argue that even if the cuts are labeled "central," they land on the frontline staff who keep schools running.
According to NBC Los Angeles, United Teachers Los Angeles members have authorized their leadership to call a strike, and SEIU Local 99 is warning that the proposal targets bus drivers, aides, and other student-facing workers. SEIU Executive Director Max Arias told reporters, "These are bus drivers. These are people that support teachers in the classroom - people that care for kids in recess."
In other words, the people families see every morning at the curb and on the playground are suddenly wondering if they will still have a job by summer.
How the layoff notice process actually works
California law requires districts to deliver written preliminary layoff notices by March 15 in many cases, and AB 438 extended similar protections to classified employees, according to the California Legislature. LAUSD’s own RIF (reduction in force) information explains the timeline for notices, hearings, and reemployment rights and notes that final layoff notices are typically issued in May unless the board pulls them back. Details are laid out on LAUSD.
For employees, that means a long, tense stretch between getting a preliminary pink slip and finding out whether it turns into an actual job loss.
District sells cuts as “fiscal stabilization”
District leaders describe the move as part of a broader "fiscal stabilization plan" after years of declining enrollment and the expiration of one-time COVID-19 relief funds forced LAUSD to lean heavily on its reserves. Officials warned that those reserves could be drained within three years without structural cuts, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Supporters on the board say trimming central-office costs is the least-bad option to protect classroom staffing while the district searches for longer-term budget fixes. Critics counter that there is nothing “central” about losing the people who drive kids to school or keep campuses functioning.
What staff and families should expect next
District officials emphasize that the notices are a legal safeguard, preserving employees’ rights while LAUSD narrows the list to a smaller set of actual layoffs this spring. The district’s RIF materials say staff placed on the reemployment list can be recalled for up to 39 months.
Between now and the final decisions in May, expect board meetings packed with community groups, parents, and union members pressing for alternatives. The numbers are set for now. How the district chooses to live with them is what comes next.
