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Yakima School District meeting sees public outcry over layoffs, librarians cut amid budget shortfall
Summary
Teachers, librarians and union representatives criticized the Yakima School District’s recent reductions in force during public comment, while Superintendent Dr. Michael Green described the district’s funding challenges and said most laid-off staff had been placed back into positions but “all but 18” remained without placements.
Public commenters, teachers and union leaders pressed the Yakima School District Board of Directors on May 5 over recent reductions in force that have eliminated dozens of certificated, student-facing positions, including all secondary librarians.
Why it matters: Speakers said the cuts hit the district’s core instructional services and undermine efforts to raise student achievement. Superintendent Michael Green said the district faces state funding shortfalls and reported partial recalls but acknowledged remaining vacancies.
Union representative Francis Guerrero of the Yakima Education Association urged the board to “push back against the reduction in force, particularly the move that cut all the secondary librarians,” and warned district outreach to staff via personal email or social media could feel “intimidating and harassing.” Guerrero said the district had used RIFs “as a way to cut over a hundred certificated positions over the last 2 years” and criticized what she described as increased administrative hires while student-facing roles were cut.
Teachers and librarians who spoke at the public comment period described direct classroom impacts. Luca B. Carey, a third-year teacher, said the RIFs send a message that “those of us most directly working with students are disposable.” Eisenhower librarian Heather Kessler outlined duties librarians perform that support research and college-credit coursework and cited district operational procedures 2311 and 2315 in asking, “What is the plan to support next year's projected 7,407 secondary students?”
Superintendent Michael Green described broader funding pressures and urged community advocacy for changes at the state level, saying the current Washington funding model “does not fulfill the constitutional…promise of an ample funding for all students.” On staffing numbers, Green said, “We had a reduction of 49 or 46 positions,” and later reported that of those positions the district had “all but 18 currently accounted for” — employees placed back into district roles though not necessarily in their prior assignments.
Board members did not take a formal vote on staffing during the meeting. No executive session was held.
Context and remaining issues: Public commenters requested clearer explanations for administrative salary levels and for the district’s prioritization when balancing the budget. Several speakers urged the board to restore librarians and other student-facing positions; others warned repeated RIF cycles make the district less likely to retain or recruit early-career educators.
The board adjourned at the end of its agenda without a formal board action on the RIFs during this meeting.
