Berkeley’s after-school coordinators still set to lose jobs after most other layoff notices are rescinded

Students leave their backpacks in the auditorium during the after-school program at Washington Elementary School in May 2025. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight Local

Twenty-one non-teaching positions in the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) remain on the layoff and reduction list, a sharp decline from the original 351 notices issued in March.

All nine after-school program coordinators, two part-time instructional assistants at Franklin Preschool and a Berkeley High restorative justice coordinator are among those still facing layoffs as of Monday. BUSD is considering restructuring the after-school care program to function without coordinators.

Only support staff are facing cuts this year, as BUSD said retirements and resignations prevented teacher layoffs, though some instructors were reassigned. Support staff have no comparable reassignment option.

Other positions receiving final notices are a classified professional development coordinator, a part-time instructional dance specialist, a BHS administrative assistant, and a part-time campus aide. Three instructional specialists in cooking and gardening and a school safety officer at the adult school may see their roles reduced.

Employees must receive final notices by May 14, though the district can rescind them through the end of June if additional resources are found. (Last year, BUSD withdrew most of its layoff and reduction notices following late budget-cycle adjustments.)

“Making these decisions is the worst part of this job,” BUSD school board member Jennifer Shanoski said during Wednesday’s meeting. “We are facing a huge budget shortfall this coming year. It is a zero-sum game when it comes to budgeting for our district.”

BUSD is working to close a nearly $8 million budget deficit for this school year. The district is seeing decreased revenue tied to students’ average daily attendance, alongside the expiration of one‑time COVID-19 relief grants. A reduction to California’s Proposition 98 guarantee could also cost the district up to $7.8 million.

School board members last week only voted to spare one set of positions from those remaining on the layoffs list, rescinding final notices for four specialists in the Office of Family Engagement and Equity (OFEE) — described as critical to supporting vulnerable students and communities. Funding had already been secured for the four other staffers in the department due to district priorities, according to meeting documents. An OFEE supervisor remains on the layoff list.

“I want to acknowledge the emotional toll that this period of budget reductions has on our community, on our staff, and on our families,” BUSD school board member Ka’Dijah Brown said during the meeting. “I don’t want you to think we already come in with a game plan. We are reading all of the emails you sent to us. We’re receiving all of the information that you give us in public comment, because this is real, and these are people’s real lives.”

Tags: