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Hacienda La Puente Unified board approves management reductions and certifies interim budget amid warnings of a multi‑year shortfall
Summary
After hours of public comment and debate over dwindling reserves, the board approved resolutions to cut several management positions and certified the district's second interim financial report; trustees and union leaders warned of long-term deficits and the human impact of cuts.
The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Board of Education voted March 13 to approve resolutions trimming classified and certificated management positions and to certify the district's 2024–25 second interim financial report, measures board members said were necessary amid worsening budget projections.
The moves followed more than two hours of public comment and internal debate about dwindling reserves and program priorities. “We are facing 65,000,000 in deficit spending by June 2027,” community member Leticia Covarrubias told the board, citing figures presented at recent budget town halls. Her remarks framed much of the night's tension over which positions to protect.
Union leaders and staff warned of consequences. Danny Tucker, president of the Hacienda La Puente Teachers Association, praised the district's strategic plan but said the board must consider how cuts translate to site-level impacts: “Resource allocation should be easily traced to student impact,” he said.
Board members who supported the reductions pointed to official budget reports. “We have to make these choices,” board member Adriana Quinones said during debate, urging trustees to act before statutory deadlines. Trustees approved resolution 2024–25‑29 (classified management reduction) and resolution 2024–25‑30 (certificated management reduction) after amendment votes that added and clarified positions under consideration. The board recorded the certificated management reduction vote 3–2 in favor and the classified management reduction vote with four trustees in favor and one opposed.
Business officials said the certification of the second interim report was primarily an accounting step that moved reserved funds into expenditure lines so the district could pay contractors on capital projects already underway, including the Workman sports complex. Staff said that reclassifying committed funds to pay invoices does not change the district's general‑fund balance but does alter line‑item budgets.
Board president Stephanie Serrano, who opposed some motions, warned trustees to recall the long-term effects of votes. “Remember, votes last a lifetime,” she said, urging colleagues to weigh the human cost.
The board scheduled a continuance to finish remaining agenda items for Tuesday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m.
