Antioch Unified board approves preliminary layoff resolutions after hours of public protest
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Summary
The Antioch Unified School District board approved three preliminary layoff resolutions by 3–2 votes after extensive public comment warning that planned cuts to special-education and classified staff would harm student safety and IEP compliance. Trustees said the measures are a legal notification step, not final terminations.
The Antioch Unified School District Board of Education voted on Feb. 18 to approve three preliminary resolutions authorizing notices for potential staff reductions and tie-breaking rules for certificated seniority, setting in motion a process trustees said is necessary to avoid fiscal insolvency.
The board approved Resolution 2025‑26‑44 (reduction or discontinuance of classified services), Resolution 2025‑26‑45 (reduction or discontinuance of particular certificated services) and Resolution 2025‑26‑46 (criteria to determine order of seniority / tie-breaker) on individual roll-call votes, each passing by a 3–2 margin. Trustees Hernandez, Vice President Cobo Smith and President Dr. Jag Lathan voted yes; Trustees Brown and Rocha voted no.
The votes followed more than two hours of public comment focused on the cuts' likely effect on special education, paraprofessionals, behavior-support staff and early-reading intervention teachers. Parents, special-education aides and teachers urged the board to pause and publish line‑by‑line budget data before final decisions.
"By cutting the behavior team, BCBAs and behavior support specialists, I worry for our classrooms and every child that has or will benefit from our services," said Christiana Mendoza, a board-certified behavior analyst who asked the board to keep the behavior team funded.
Trustee Mary Rocha, who voted against the resolutions, told the board she would oppose all three measures. "I will be voting no on all 3 of them," Rocha said during the board discussion, arguing that more transparency and an independent audit were needed before enacting large layoffs.
Superintendent Dr. Darnice Williams framed the approvals as a required, preliminary step under the Education Code — notice to affected employees by March 15 — not an immediate termination. "This evening's vote was a reflection of the preliminary layoff notification," Williams said. "It does not mean that the positions listed will lose a position. Some positions may be retained, some may not." She said the district will work with FCMAT and School Services to validate multi‑year projections and complete a special‑education program review.
Speakers repeatedly warned that reductions could lead to IEP noncompliance and costly legal remedies. "This will cause further noncompliance, potentially resulting in legal action, financial penalties," said parent Bree Simonson, who asked whether staffing cuts would actually save money or only shift costs to the district later.
Trustees who supported the resolutions said the district faces a structural budget deficit exacerbated by the end of one‑time COVID funding and projected multi‑year shortfalls. "If we do not pass these resolutions, we will not stay solvent," a trustee supporting the motion said during the discussion. Board supporters described the action as preserving the district's ability to continue local governance and avoid state takeover by demonstrating steps to address the fiscal gap.
Votes at a glance
- Resolution 2025‑26‑44 (classified reductions): passed (3–2). Roll call: Hernandez — yes; Vice President Cobo Smith — yes; President Dr. Lathan — yes; Brown — no; Rocha — no. - Resolution 2025‑26‑45 (certificated reductions): passed (3–2). Roll call: Hernandez — yes; Vice President Cobo Smith — yes; President Dr. Lathan — yes; Brown — no; Rocha — no. - Resolution 2025‑26‑46 (tie‑breaker criteria for certificated seniority): passed (3–2). Roll call as above.
What comes next
Trustees and staff emphasized that the adopted resolutions authorize only the notification step; the district still must conduct the review and provide notices. Superintendent Williams said the district will present additional fiscal analyses, a cash‑flow study and a special‑education impact review in the coming weeks and invited continued community engagement. The board also discussed potential revenue options — including a feasibility study for a parcel tax — as part of a longer-term strategy to restore sustainability.
The board meeting ran past midnight and included other items (bond refunding authorization and ratification of a CSEA tentative agreement) in addition to the votes on layoffs. The district scheduled follow‑up meetings and pledged to publish further documentation on the financial assumptions behind the proposed reductions.
