Simi Valley Unified board approves cuts to classified services, including three high‑school library technician positions

The Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Feb. 18 voted 5‑0 to adopt resolutions to reduce or discontinue certain classified services, including the proposed elimination of three library technician positions at the district's high schools.

Hundreds of pages of public comment and multiple speakers urged the board to spare the positions. "I come before you to ask for an amendment to resolution number 34‑24/25 which is entitled resolution to reduce or eliminate classified services," said Richard Rubino, a retired district IT support specialist, who highlighted textbook processing, device checkout and supervision duties that he said require two staff at each high school. Several current library technicians and teachers described daily workflows they said would be overwhelmed if positions are cut.

"For the high school librarians, each of them spends 45% of their day every day every week dealing with laptops," said Nikki La Crosse, a librarian and president of the classified employees union, citing a district‑wide survey of secondary librarians. "You get rid of one of those librarians and now your one person remaining is going to spend 90% of their day dealing with laptops." She and other speakers said that would leave little time for circulation, supervision, testing, and tutoring services the libraries currently provide.

Trustees said they had reviewed multiple options but faced tight legal timelines. Trustee Gibran and others pressed administration on alternative funding and the March 15 legal notice deadline in education code that requires timely action on proposed classified reductions. Superintendent Dr. Hany Youssef acknowledged the difficulty and said staff have explored funding sources but face limited options, including one‑time grant dollars that are expiring. "When the positions go away, where does the work go?" he asked, urging continued meetings with union partners to define where responsibilities would shift.

Board members repeatedly described the decision as painful but framed it as part of a broader effort to align staffing with declining enrollment and tighter state funding. After discussion the board approved the motions (motion by Clerk Smolin; second by Trustee Pine) on a roll call vote: Trustee James, Trustee Gibran, Trustee Resnick, Clerk Smolin and President Pine voted aye.

The administration and unions said that if the resolution passes the district will continue working through March and May to identify reassignment opportunities for impacted employees, clarify job descriptions where responsibilities will transfer, and explore any remaining one‑time funds to reduce impacts.

The board also adopted a related resolution to discontinue particular kinds of service (Resolution No. 35‑2425) by the same 5‑0 vote. The action sets in motion the notification and meet‑and‑confer steps required under state law; specific employee notices and final staffing outcomes will be developed in the coming weeks.