Calexico Unified board approves 16 layoffs after judge’s recommendation; teacher urges reevaluation of PKS process

The Calexico Unified School District Board of Trustees on a 5‑0 vote approved a final resolution to reduce certificated services recommended by an administrative law judge, formalizing layoffs that the district says will affect 16 positions.

Adriana Gastelum, a Calexico High School teacher and public commenter, told trustees the layoffs are "not just a professional matter. It directly impacts our livelihoods and our family's stability," and urged the board to "reevaluate this PKS," saying teachers were not shown clear enrollment projections or a master schedule to justify the cuts.

The board discussion centered on the statutory "particular kinds of services" (PKS) mechanism the district used to identify which certificated services to reduce. A district staff member, Mr. Jimenez, told trustees the district "engaged in a thorough process" that included required notifications, document submissions and an administrative hearing in which testimony, cross‑examination and evidence were considered; he said the administrative law judge rendered a recommendation that the board was asked to accept.

Trustees and staff traced the sequence of notices and counts: roughly 35 certificated positions were initially noticed, the number moved through several rounds of revision (32, 25, 20) and the final recommendation before the board was for 16 positions. When trustees asked about the fiscal effect, district finance staff member Mr. de la Torre provided an estimate for the final 16 positions of approximately $2.9 million to $3.1 million in savings, noting the amount depends on the final list of employees and varying salary and benefit rates.

Board members also sought and received clarifications about related topics. Mr. Jimenez said the PKS mechanism allows districts to consider types of services and credentials rather than strictly awarding layoffs by strict districtwide seniority, and he confirmed that laid‑off teachers are placed on a 39‑month reemployment list and generally have priority for substitute assignments, though callback and substitution are not guaranteed.

Trustees asked whether this action tied to any immediate school consolidation; staff said it did not and that consolidations being discussed would, if they occur, be for 2027‑28 and that classroom teachers generally follow students to other sites. Trustees emphasized the difficulty of the decision; the motion to approve the resolution was made, seconded and passed on a recorded 5‑0 vote (Trustees Contreras, Arellano, Castillo, Calderon and Avina voting yes).

After the vote, trustees and staff said the district will issue final notices to impacted teachers consistent with statutory timelines and the process described at the hearing. The board adjourned following the motion to adjourn, which also passed 5‑0.