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Teachers, union and parents urge Lawndale board to avoid classroom cuts; PE staffing singled out
Summary
Union leaders and dozens of teachers urged the Lawndale Elementary School District to keep classroom positions — especially three PE teachers at each middle school — as the district considers reductions in force tied to declining enrollment.
Lawndale Elementary School District trustees heard more than a dozen public commenters on Feb. 19 urging them to protect classroom staffing as the district considers reductions in force tied to declining enrollment.
The Lawndale Teachers Association president told the board that TK–5 general‑education teacher staffing has dropped about 13.5% since 2023 and that the district’s proposed reductions would add roughly 6% more, producing a 19.5% net decline in TK–5 general‑education teachers since 2023. The speaker also highlighted district expenditures on professional and consulting services, saying those costs rose from $7,612,594 in 2023 to $18,187,607 in 2026 — a 58.1% increase — and argued those budget choices do not prioritize classrooms. “A budget is a statement of our values,” the LTA president said.
Multiple middle‑school staff members and union site representatives pressed the board to preserve three PE positions at each middle school campus, saying that configuration is needed to supervise locker rooms and outdoor activities and to ensure an effective emergency response. Ally Mulgrew, a seventh‑grade English and ELD teacher and site union representative, said school safety requires at least three qualified PE staff per period so one can respond to an incident while others supervise students. Patrick Cleary, a veteran teacher, cited national guidance recommending about one teacher per 30 students and warned that supervision and equipment shortages become problematic as class sizes swell.
Teachers described the potential classroom and safety impacts if staffing levels shrink: increased risk of injury, less individualized instruction and greater behavioral and classroom‑management challenges. Jane Addams Middle School PE teacher Laura Maxwell — who said she has been teaching more than 20 years — asked trustees to consider the broader daily roles PE staff play, from mentoring to supervising unstructured time.
Board members asked clarifying questions about whether comments related to district‑wide RIFs or site‑specific reductions and sought information about the contract limit for PE class sizes. Staff replied the district’s contract cap referenced in the meeting is 50 students per class and said detailed staffing decisions would be discussed in closed session.
The board did not take new action on staffing at the meeting. Trustees who spoke at the public session expressed appreciation for the teachers’ presentations and invited staff to continue clarifying operational details in subsequent meetings.
