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Parents, staff and students urge board to keep learning‑center assistant amid proposed cuts
Summary
Multiple public commenters and a learning‑center lead described how a laboratory/classroom assistant supports independent‑study students with proctoring, attendance outreach and IEP accommodations and urged trustees not to eliminate the position amid budget cuts and declining enrollment.
Dozens of parents, staff and students pressed the Escondido Union High School District Board on May 13 to retain a laboratory classroom (learning‑center) assistant position the district proposed trimming as part of budget reductions.
Mei Fei, learning‑center lead at Escondido High School, told the board the assistant handles technical and compliance tasks—“LanSchool, our Edgenuity system, proctoring tests and contacting families within one school day when students fall behind”—work she said takes months of training. “Two of our students, she has called over 90 times this school year,” Mei Fei said, urging the board to “please reconsider and let her continue.”
Parents and students gave similar accounts. Daniel Varela, a campus staff member, said the library clerk and laboratory assistant roles provide day‑to‑day supports that cannot easily be absorbed by existing staff. Student Genesis Areguin told trustees the assistant helped her manage anxiety, comply with IEP accommodations and “made me feel more welcome,” saying without the role she might not attend independent‑study classes.
Trustees acknowledged the public testimony. Several board members said they understand the student‑facing value of the role but also noted the district is contending with declining enrollment and a budget gap that prompted the staff list of potential reductions. Board members asked clarifying questions about how many independent‑study students remain (the district noted 32 students next year at Escondido High School) and whether some vacancies or retirements had already reduced the net impact.
The public comments did appear to influence trustees’ deliberations later in the meeting: a motion to finalize a set of classified reductions (which included the laboratory assistant among several positions) failed on a 3–2 voice vote; trustees who opposed the motion cited the public testimony and the proximity of cuts to direct student services.
The board did approve other personnel actions during the meeting, including a certificated layoff resolution and the hiring of an assistant superintendent for human resources. Officials said final staffing decisions will depend on retirements, resignations and any changes in state funding dynamics this summer.
