ANTIOCH — A preliminary plan approved Wednesday to lay off hundreds of staff members could help the Antioch Unified School District address upcoming budget deficits that range in the millions.
Despite concerns over the impact the reductions would have on students, especially those in special education, the Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved layoffs that would affect about 300 full-time positions. The board voted 3-2, with trustees Mary Rocha and Dee Brown in opposition.
While “pink slips” would be given out by March 15, the terminations wouldn’t take effect until the end of the school year.
Positions affected would include everything from behavioral support specialists and school psychologists to custodians and physical therapists, among others.
The layoffs are expected to reduce the district’s expenses by about $38 million for the 2026-2027 school year.
The district is facing a deficit of about $30 million over the next two years after the expiration of one-time COVID-19 relief funds coincided with an increase in salary, benefit, and utility costs, and rising special education expenses.
In 2025, the district submitted its budget to the Contra Costa County Office of Education. In January, the county office downgraded the district’s “positive” certification to “qualified.”
A “qualified” certification increases county oversight and requires the district to develop solutions to meet its fiscal responsibilities. It also triggers the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team to assess the school district’s financial health and risks and provide guidance.
Dozens of parents and staff who attended Wednesday’s board meeting objected to the proposed layoffs.
Along with concerns about the safety, support, and academic progress of children, parents and staff highlighted the importance of having teachers’ aides and behavior support staff in areas such as special education.
Danielle Watson, a parent of a special needs child, said without adequate staffing, children will not only be underserved but also vulnerable.
“I ask you plainly, when a behavior escalates, who de-escalates? If the staff are managing a crisis, who is providing academic instruction to the rest of the class without directors and program specialists who support IEPs, because these cuts remove the very people that answer those questions,” said Watson.
Some said the district could face legal and financial repercussions as a result of the cuts, while others questioned the district’s financial transparency and hiring of consultants.
Rocha, who opposed the layoffs, requested an audit of all subcontractors hired by the district.
“There’s a lot of money going out. … There’s a big budget for attorneys, there’s a big budget for public relations, there’s a big budget for things that I’m not really aware of,” said the trustee. “I know there are programs that are supposed to be there to help you with your children, but I’m also concerned about all these extras to try to reinforce what we are doing.”
Rocha also called for a freeze on travel and hiring of top-level staff at the district office.
As a parent with a child in the district, Brown said she could not support the layoffs.
“I am a mom first. I take my oath seriously, but at the end of the day, I’d be a neglectful parent if I stood here knowing I had to go face my baby girl. … I’m doing it for her, I ran for her,” said Brown. “I didn’t knock on doors to tell people what my platform was to then get in this seat to do the total opposite. … We have to figure something out.”
Board of Trustees President Jag Lathan shared her experience as an administrator in the Oakland Unified School District, noting that it “was not fun” to be taken over by the state.
“What the state says is this is what’s going to happen, and that’s it. Right now, what we’re trying to do is make sure we do our due diligence, to make sure that we are doing things legally,” said Lathan. “I pray to God that we don’t have to make the cuts. There is talk of possible funding from the state. … They know people in these districts are in crisis.”
To help further address upcoming deficits, the district is exploring a parcel tax. A feasibility study will be conducted to assess the possibility of a ballot measure.
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