Local Eye

Administrative judge makes final ruling on SAUSD layoffs; Board to consider rulings Monday

Daniel Diaz

Daniel Diaz

— 1 min read

SAUSD HQ — A California administrative law judge has ruled that the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) may proceed with mass layoffs affecting up to 276 certificated staff-including teachers, counselors, and instructional specialists-for the 2025–2026 school year.

The ruling, issued by Judge Eric Sawyer on May 12 following a five-day hearing in April, largely upheld the District’s justification for the layoffs, which stem from a major budget stabilization effort and staff surplus.

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Initially, SAUSD planned to eliminate 386 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. However, this number reflects workload-not headcount. Because some employees work part-time or share positions, cutting 386 FTEs does not mean 386 people are being laid off.

After accounting for retirements, resignations, reassignments, and legal challenges, the number of actual layoff notices dropped to 276. The judge then removed 18 individuals from the list due to errors-such as being bumped by unqualified colleagues or having credentials that were overlooked.

The judge found that most of the District’s layoffs were legally justified and followed required procedures.

However, some errors were identified-such as bilingual teachers being replaced by less-qualified staff, and counselors being laid off based on the number of workdays rather than seniority.

The court also ruled that Speech and Debate coaches did not qualify for the same layoff protections as sports coaches.

Tie-breaker decisions were handled using a weighted point system, and in cases of exact ties, a digital lottery was used to determine seniority.

Ron Hacker, SAUSD’s Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Superintendent, noted in a phone call Thursday that Judge Sawyer’s ruling is “technically not binding,” meaning the Board is not required to accept it fully.

A special board meeting is scheduled for Monday, where trustees will vote on whether to adopt the ruling’s findings and move forward with final layoff decisions.

Originally published at https://www.santanero.org on May 15, 2025.

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