Approximately 300 people demonstrated outside the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) headquarters on Tuesday to protest up to 2,000 layoffs of classified employees, which include clerical workers, administrative assistants, janitors and food preparation staff.

Hundreds of demonstrators protested against possible layoffs of classified employees outside LAUSD headquarters on Tuesday. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The LAUSD approved its $5.4 billion budget for the 2010-11 school year on Tuesday, which included up to 2,500 layoffs, of which approximately 500 would be teachers, administrators and non-classified staff. While the district was able to reach an agreement to avert most of those layoffs with the United Teachers Los Angeles — the union representing teachers and administrators — no agreement has been reached with Classified School Employees Union (CSEA), which represents classified workers. Lydia Ramos, an LAUSD spokesperson, said the actual number of classified employee layoffs may be fewer than outlined in the budget, because some of the positions are currently vacant, or will be eliminated when people retire.

“Superintendent Cortines has always demonstrated a commitment to work with the unions to find solutions, and that will continue,” Ramos said. “He is open to all solutions, but it has to be something that will have to work with the money we have, it has to be feasible, and it has to be something we can implement.”

The cuts are expected to take place in September, and many classified workers are hoping that something will happen before then to save the jobs. At Fairfax High School, five of the 13 clerical and technical staff positions may be cut. Liza Cranis, the school’s Title I office technician, said the prospect of losing her job has caused much anxiety. Cranis helps determine how to distribute federal Title I funding, which is a program that provides things such as subsidized meals, books and computers for underprivileged students.

“I think I have been preparing myself for this, but the minute I get a notice, it will really affect me,” Cranis said. “I don’t want to leave. I love this school and I love my job, but in this case, there is not much anyone can do to save us.”

Fairfax High School assistant principal Patti Heideman said she doesn’t even want to think about losing the classified employees.

“It will have a tremendous impact,” Heideman said. “Our main office, which currently has two workers, will go down to one, and we have to have someone there at all times. The work our clerical staff does is essential, and to have to find somebody to do that would be mindboggling. Decreasing the size of their staff is unimaginable.”

The protesters on Tuesday were also concerned about long-term solutions, but many feared that they would likely lose their jobs. Paul Robinson, a CSEA member who declined to identify where he works, said he hopes a plan for furlough days would be accepted. Furloughs and other reductions are part of the plans that the LAUSD and CSEA have been negotiating, but have not yet come to a solution.

“We hoped they would do some sort of program where we work four days and then on Friday, we would be off but could apply for unemployment, and that would give us sixty percent of our salary back. But they (LAUSD Board) flat out said no,” Robinson said. “We don’t have much hope that they will come to an agreement, but we want to show support for our fellow workers.”

Calvin Gordon, a CSEA member who is a district locksmith, said the cuts will have a trickle down effect that will eventually reach the students.

“It’s going to have a very big impact because people are going to lose their jobs, and then there will be less resources to run the schools,” Gordon said. “There won’t be enough classified employees, which affects the teachers, and affects the students. I would hope to see them give the classified employees their fair share. We always get the cuts, while management does nothing.”