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Parents and staff urge board to spare frontline classified positions as cuts advance
Summary
Community members urged the Pacifica School District board to reconsider proposed certificated and classified reductions, highlighting frontline roles—especially an administrative secretary who serves as bilingual/LPAC support—and the board tabled some items for further negotiation and clarification.
Public speakers at the Feb. 11 Pacifica School District board meeting urged trustees to reconsider proposed staffing reductions and to prioritize site-level positions that directly support students.
Several speakers described the breadth of work performed by the administrative secretary position scheduled for reduction—answering district phones, providing Spanish interpretation and LPAC testing support, processing exemption applications and mail, and serving multiple departments—arguing that eliminating the role would shift essential work onto already stretched staff.
Human Resources staff presented Resolution 2026-0225b naming six positions for potential reduction or elimination (administrative secretary, roving night custodian, director of facilities maintenance and operations, bond project manager, licensed vocational nurse, and paraprofessional). The resolution was presented as a required procedural notice under Education Code timelines; staff said the notices are necessary to preserve the district's flexibility in the event enrollment does not support current staffing levels.
Board members and staff acknowledged procedural concerns raised by the public and by one trustee that the certificated-notice item combined several categories of personnel actions and should be split. The board agreed to table the certificated-resolution item (11g) to the March 11 meeting to allow separate consideration and to work with labor partners on job descriptions and negotiation language. Trustees also voted to table the classified-notice resolution for follow-up discussions with CSEA and HR to determine whether a revised job description or negotiated alternative could avoid elimination of critical functions.
Why it matters: Speakers emphasized that cuts to classified staff would reduce student support services—library programs, counseling coverage, translation, and front-office access—during a period of declining enrollment and repeated reorganization. Multiple commenters tied morale and service continuity to the retention of experienced classified staff.
Next steps: The board directed staff to work with labor partners on job descriptions and potential alternatives prior to the May budget decisions; several items were tabled until the March 11 meeting when the board will revisit separation of personnel actions and potential negotiated changes.
Sources: Public testimony and HR presentations during the Feb. 11 board meeting.
