Compton : School District to Eliminate 110 Non-Teaching Positions

Trustees for the financially strapped Compton Unified School District voted this week to cut more than 110 non-teaching jobs. The cuts, which are likely to result in about 50 layoffs, are expected to save more than $1 million in the district’s $90-million budget.

Eliminated jobs include a computer technician, a dance instructor, an internal auditor, a carpenter, a plumber, two cooks, two bus drivers, 14 school police officers and 34 clerks.

The cuts passed by a 5-1 vote.

Board member John Steward said he voted against the cuts to protest how long it took the district to make the decisions. He castigated the board and staff for not saving money in time to avert a financial crisis that has placed the district on the verge of a state takeover.

Other district officials said the cost-cutting was painful but necessary.

The job cuts came before the board at three other recent meetings. Each time, employee groups lobbied hard against the cuts, and each time, board members either voted against the budget trims or agreed to withdraw them from consideration.

At Tuesday’s meeting, union leader Ahrien Johnson argued against the layoffs, saying that administrators were not absorbing their share of the budget reductions.

Staff members responded that the payroll for managers and administrators also was being reduced, but they were unable to document those cuts at Tuesday’s meeting.