\t\t\t\t\tWhat’s at stake?<\/p>\n
While the equivalent of at least 200 full-time certificated and classified staff positions have been marked for reductions by Fresno Unified, Chief Financial Officer Patrick Jensen says the amount of people without a job after reductions will be close to zero.<\/p>\n
Although Fresno Unified plans to cut at least 200 positions<\/a>, a senior district official said most affected employees would still have a job.\u00a0<\/p>\n While dozens of positions will be cut, impacted staff will have the option to either \u201cbump\u201d down to a less senior position or move to an alternative position in a different department, under a process Chief Financial Officer Patrick Jensen described to Fresnoland.<\/p>\n \u201cThe number of people, I think, who will actually not have a job with Fresno Unified when this is all over, I think is honestly going to be close to zero,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n Fresno Unified employees will be notified by Sunday if their jobs are on the line, according to district officials<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jensen said employees would still retain benefits and employment within the district, if they accept the alternate roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear how exactly that will play out, as district officials released two new lists of impacted classified<\/a> and certificated positions<\/a> that don\u2019t match up with previous lists<\/a> from the Feb. 25<\/a> board meeting.<\/p>\n Those figures are among many that appear to be changing in real time at California\u2019s third largest school district.\u00a0<\/p>\n District officials revised their own estimates for Fresno\u2019s Unified\u2019s deficit during the current school year, according to new documents<\/a> released last week. Although Fresno Unified\u2019s deficit this year was estimated at $77.82 million in December<\/a>, the district is now $11 million more in the hole.\u00a0<\/p>\n District officials have also decreased their deficit projection for next year \u2014 now estimating a $55 million deficit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Currently, it\u2019s unclear what the board\u2019s vote on Wednesday will explicitly do for the newly identified classified and certificated positions. A Fresno Unified spokesperson did not immediately provide a comment.<\/p>\n Can a multi-million dollar discretionary fund save the day?<\/p>\n Amidst a dire financial situation at Fresno Unified, the leader of its teachers union says the district should be using a discretionary pool of funds \u2014 about $175 million \u2014 to save jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur concern is that the district often only has one tool that it knows how to use, and in this case, that\u2019s layoffs and whatnot, when there may be other tools in the toolbox that need examining,\u201d Bonilla said in an interview.<\/p>\n