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Demonstrators arrived with signs against the Long Beach Unified School District\u2019s proposed layoffs during a rally on Dec. 10, 2025. (Jorge Hernandez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n
The total breakdown of LBUSD employees being let go is as follows:\u00a0<\/p>\n
253 temporary contractors who fill in when permanent employees go on leave or sabbatical\u00a0<\/p>\n
240 federally-funded employees with the Head Start program<\/p>\n
14 librarians or media assistants<\/p>\n
11 bilingual intermediate office assistants<\/p>\n
Four campus staff assistants<\/p>\n
Four music instructional aides<\/p>\n
Two intensive reading clinic instructional aides<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have done, in every single department, academics, every business department, at least a 10% reduction, and some departments have faced upwards of a 20% reduction,\u201d said LBUSD Superintendent Jill Baker during a budget meeting on Feb. 18.\u00a0<\/p>\n
District faculty members are concerned these cuts will increase teacher and staff workloads as well as negatively impact students\u2019 learning experience and overall wellness.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/LBUSD_ReOpen_Aug31-11.jpg\")
A group of Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School students looks towards the adults having a press conference during recess during the first day of school, returning to in-person classes on Aug. 31, 2021. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n
Behavior and Wellness Impacts<\/p>\n
Kennedy Dixon, a counselor at Macarthur Elementary School and a member of the Government Relations Committee for the California Association of School Counselors (CASC), said in an interview with the Signal Tribune that these cuts mean counselors will have to take on additional work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy concern, and from our last counselors meeting, we were told that basically we should expect to have additional duties due to the layoffs,\u201d said Dixon.<\/p>\n
Dixon also mentioned the layoffs may lead to a lack of access to counselors, and that this could directly impact the classroom environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cCounselors are not going to have the sufficient time, and we already don\u2019t, to provide preventative measures to students,\u201d Dixon said. \u201cAnd the way that will play out, you\u2019re going to see more behavioral issues in the students.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are currently 48 counselors serving elementary and K-8 schools in the district. Counselors at these schools provide services such as monitoring attendance, providing conflict resolutions, supporting student achievement and responding to crises, according to a statement from an LBUSD spokesperson provided to the Signal Tribune.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been no reductions to counseling time at the elementary level. Two sites have moved from Title I to non-Title I status, and those schools will see counseling times adjusted,\u201d the LBUSD spokesperson said. A Title I school means 40% or more of the children attending come from low-income families. These schools typically receive more federal funding than non-Title I schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baker described the deficit as \u201ca really grave situation, fiscally.\u201d She said the decision reflects the projected enrollment number for the 2026-27 academic year, which directly impacts the district\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n
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Over the last few years, the district has attempted to tackle its ballooning debt by addressing issues such as student attendance. Nearly a quarter of students in the district are chronically absent<\/a>, meaning they miss at least 10% of instructional days. LBUSD has aimed to address chronic absenteeism<\/a> through campaigns that encourage students, parents, and teachers to improve attendance.<\/p>\n The Teachers Association of Long Beach<\/a> emphasized the long-term impacts of the layoffs on a video posted to their Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere will be nothing temporary about their impact. Losing these people who work very hard, who are dedicated professionals, has an impact on our community. Kids are going to be missing them when they return,\u201d a TALB member said in the video.<\/p>\n Educational Impacts<\/p>\n Danielle Riniolo, a ceramics teacher at Lakewood High School, said that in her experience, these employment cuts come at the expense of student needs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have enough adults to properly support our students in so many ways; Not just the educational way, but also the physical means,\u201d Riniolo said, highlighting the loss of staff members such as nurses, lunch employees and library aides.<\/p>\n Riniolo mentioned that her school\u2019s library assistant was one of hundreds laid off in February, a woman who she says had a positive influence on the students.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really sad about it, and so are our students \u2026 She\u2019s young, she brings a lot of energy, she has a focus on social justice. And those are the people we\u2019re losing the most when we lose special contract or non-permanent contract employees,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n A Longfellow Elementary School teacher who asked to remain anonymous highlighted the loss of the school\u2019s wellness center, which she said will negatively impact the learning environment as students lose access to a resource that supported their emotional wellbeing.<\/p>\n \u201cIf your students are not ready to learn because they need support, then that makes it difficult for the teachers,\u201d a Longfellow Elementary School teacher said.<\/p>\n One concrete impact the layoffs may have: student reading standards. A Washington Middle School teacher who requested to remain anonymous pointed to a decline in student literacy rates as a cause for concern. A report<\/a> from the CA Reading Coalition revealed that 58% of third-graders in California are reading below their grade level.<\/p>\n The teacher said that Washington Middle School had full library services prior to the employment cuts. Now, they only have a certificated librarian one day out of the week. She added that the decreased access to this resource might be an additional stressor in addressing student literacy rates.<\/p>\n Over 48% of students at LBUSD\u2019s public schools are not or nearly meeting English Language Arts and literacy standards, according to data from Ed-Data<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy feelings about next year approaching [are] kind of going to be like, \u2018Do I want to be in public education?\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n However, the District has remained steadfast in claiming these employment cuts will not cause disruption to classroom instruction.<\/p>\n \u201cWe remain focused on making thoughtful, measured decisions while protecting the core services that support students\u2019 academic success, wellness, and safety,\u201d a Long Beach Unified spokesperson said to the Signal Tribune in an email. \u201cWe recognize the human impact of these decisions and are grateful for the contributions of the employees affected\u2026 These are difficult but necessary steps to plan responsibly while protecting the programs and supports students rely on.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/LBUSD_ReOpen_Aug31-3.jpg\")
Students at Roosevelt Elementary School raise their hands to answer questions from California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond during their return to in-person classes on Aug. 31, 2021. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Millikan-051.jpg\")
A Millikan High School student sits behind a computer in class on the first day of in-person classes on April 26, 2021. (Photo courtesy Mark Savage | LBUSD)<\/p>\n
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