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Oxnard trustees approve preliminary personnel reductions as staff and public urge review of frontline cuts
Summary
Facing a $23 million two-year shortfall, the Oxnard board approved initial certificated and classified reduction resolutions and hour reductions; grounds, maintenance, risk management and attendance staff told trustees cuts could harm operations and urged alternative savings, transparency and support for impacted workers.
The Oxnard School District board voted on a set of preliminary personnel actions tied to a budget gap the district said will require roughly $15 million in reductions for 2026–27 and another $8 million the following year. The board approved an initial certificated reduction-in-force resolution and a companion classified-hour/abolishment resolution after extended trustee questioning and many public comments from district employees.
Dr. Scott Carroll, presenting personnel recommendations, said the certificated proposal identifies service areas where staffing would be reduced to align with enrollment (example categories listed included single-subject mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, physical education; multiple-subject reductions; and a set number of assistant principal and instructional-manager positions). He reminded trustees that education code requires preliminary notifications on or before March 15 and final notices by May 15 for certificated staff reductions.
On the classified side, staff recommended reductions and hour changes across several groups: custodians, grounds leads, office assistants (OA2), attendance-accounting technicians (elementary OAAs), a human-resources assistant, a risk-management specialist position and a small number of campus assistants and paraeducators tied to specific low-enrollment programs. Dr. Carroll said some positions were added during the pandemic with one-time funds and that many custodial and grounds positions were expanded to meet COVID-era sanitation and site needs.
Employees and employee groups urged the board to reconsider specific frontline eliminations. Juan Carlos Reyes of grounds maintenance told the board the cuts could remove hands-on operational leadership and increase response time for emergencies. Risk-management specialist Yadira Infante described a high daily workload managing workers’ comp and property/liability claims and warned that eliminating the role would raise liability exposure. Attendance technicians and other classified staff described state compliance work that they said requires sustained hours and expertise.
Trustees asked staff for more site-level impact analyses, seniority and staffing maps, and a breakdown of which positions were paid with one-time (COVID/ESSER) funds versus baseline funds. Several trustees said they were uncomfortable voting without more operational-impact information but noted statutory deadlines limit the board’s timeline. The board approved the initial certificated RIF resolution (roll-call recorded) and the classified-resolution motion to proceed with notifications; votes were taken in public and recorded.
Board members and staff repeatedly said the votes taken were the first steps, not final layoffs: staff emphasized that the March action preserves options and triggers required notification steps while district teams continue exploring contract and non-personnel savings, multi-year planning, and bumping and transfer options for affected employees. Dr. Carroll said HR will meet individually and in groups with potentially impacted employees to explain bumping rights, potential rehire lists and next steps.
Trustees asked staff to return to the board with a clearer written accounting (by site and position) of which roles were funded with one-time pandemic dollars, which positions are vacant, and what contracts or non-personnel savings could be achieved before final May decisions.
