10:00 PM PST on Monday, January 11, 2010

By DAYNA STRAEHLEY
The Press-Enterprise

The Riverside Unified school board voted Monday to postpone laying off 124 kindergarten through third-grade teachers for the 2010-11 school year.

A majority of board members of Riverside Unified School District said they wanted more information.

“Unless the (budget advisory committee) comes up with something extraordinary, we’re just delaying the inevitable,” said board member Tom Hunt, who requested the postponement.

The layoffs would save the district $5.9 million. Officials are trying to close a projected $37 million budget gap for next year.

The issue of layoffs and criteria for which teachers will be able to keep jobs over those with more seniority will return to the board in February.

Hunt asked for more information about outplacement assistance for the teachers who will get layoff notices.

Board member Kathy Allavie wanted to know why athletic and student activities directors were exempt. She also was concerned that teachers who had taught for several years in the district and left for personal reasons, such as to raise their own children, and came back were not given any more seniority than new employees hired at the same time they came back.

“There’s no plan for how we’re going to deal with these folks and no report from the (budget advisory committee) yet,” Hunt said. “And now we’re throwing in exemptions for athletic directors.”

Classes in kindergarten through third grade in Riverside Unified School District will grow to 30 students next year, up from 20 students in third grade now and 24 in the lower grades. Larger classes require fewer teachers.

The layoff notices would go to 51 third-grade teachers and 73 kindergarten through second-grade teachers before the state deadline of March 15.

Superintendent Rick Miller said the intent was to give teachers as much time as possible to prepare once they are identified.

Board member Gayle Cloud said the board is unhappy about the decisions it has to make.

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