Los Angeles school board decides to lay off 657 employees

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(The Center Square) – The Los Angeles Unified School District has approved a cost-cutting plan to lay off 657 employees.

Hours may also be reduced for some workers.

The district's Board of Education voted 4-3 Tuesday in favor of the layoffs. They're coming at a time in which the nation's second-largest school district faces projected structural deficits of $877 million for the 2026-2027 school year and $443 million for 2027-2028.

A spokesperson for LAUSD said the projected deficits are driven by declining enrollment, the expiration of one-time federal relief funds and rising operating costs.

“Fiscal oversight authorities have repeatedly warned that continued deficit spending threatens long-term financial stability,” the spokesperson told The Center Square Wednesday.

The number of layoffs - 657 employees - amounts to approximately 1% of the 83,000 people employed by LAUSD.

The reduction in force focuses primarily on non-school site positions, beginning with employees with the least seniority.

Initial notices will be mailed to impacted employees by March 15. June 30 will be the final day of that employee’s current assignment.

It is possible that the district can reduce or rescind some layoffs before they take effect. However, Superintendent Albert M. Carvalho said at Tuesday's board meeting that delays on layoffs will not ultimately eliminate reductions.

“Kicking the can down the road will actually magnify them,” said Carvalho. “Failing to take action will actually condemn more people than what is proposed.”

The total number of teacher positions is decreasing for 2026-27 because of factors such as the district's declining enrollment. The district expects to need approximately 350 fewer elementary school teachers and 400 fewer secondary school teachers. 

Classroom teachers are not being issued notices for layoffs. Instead, the reduction is being handled by enacting a hiring freeze and leaving positions vacant when teachers retire or leave the district, staff told the school board.

“In developing the proposal, the district prioritized protecting and respecting our workforce, minimizing impact on schools and student services, while concentrating efforts on central office reductions,” the district spokesperson told The Center Square.