Chula Vista board approves edited personnel reductions after heated debate; trustees split 3-2

The Chula Vista Elementary School District Board of Education on a contentious agenda item approved a personnel-reduction package as amended, voting 3-2 after trustees removed several assistant-level positions and the parent-engagement coordinator from the list of positions to be eliminated.

Board discussion spanned more than an hour as trustees and staff clarified who would be displaced, how the district would place certificated employees and why sites had differing staffing requests. Superintendent Dr. Reyes and Director Jorge Mora described a multi-step placement process: the district reported 28 certificated teachers currently displaced and said there were roughly 45 vacancies district-wide. Staff said displaced teachers have priority for open vacancies for which they are qualified; where qualifications do not match, additional reassignments or negotiations with unions will be necessary.

Trustees pressing for changes noted inconsistencies between the agenda annex and the posted figures (annex showed 14.94 FTE removed in one place and 18.94 in another). Several trustees raised concerns that some positions listed for elimination appeared to be hiring priorities at school sites, including playground supervisors and assistants. Board members also cited parent testimony urging retention of a parent-engagement liaison.

In response, the board amended the motion to exclude three assistant categories (including instructional assistants and English-learner aides), playground supervisors and the parent liaison/coordinator position from the cuts. The amended motion was moved by Trustee Tamayo, seconded by Trustee Tolsten, and approved 3-2. A roll-call recorded the outcome; minutes show the motion passed by simple majority.

What was decided and why

- The board approved the personnel reductions as amended (3-2). - Staff will proceed with the placement process described in closed and open-session remarks, prioritizing displaced certificated staff for vacancies where they meet qualifications. - Trustees asked for a clearer reconciliation of FTE numbers in the agenda annex and for earlier notice when school-based hiring is underway so that district-level actions do not conflict with site-level vacancies.

Public reaction and context

Public commenters — including classified employee representatives and parents — repeatedly urged higher pay for substitutes and retention of frontline classified staff, arguing that low substitute pay (current district rate cited repeatedly as $16.50 per hour) contributed to chronic vacancies that affect student safety and supervision. Parents and staff said the district was simultaneously advertising and filling certain positions while cutting others, which prompted trustee requests for a pause so HR and site leaders could reconcile openings and assignments.

Next steps and follow-up

Human Resources and the superintendent will return with a written reconciliation of the annex FTE counts and a report on the placement status of displaced teachers. Trustees asked staff to provide additional clarity on which positions are funded by site councils and which are centrally funded, and to report back before final personnel actions are effectuated.