Canan Tasci, Staff Writer
Created: 03/07/2010 06:02:26 AM PST

ONTARIO – The Ontario-Montclair School District officials will send out 142 preliminary layoff notices to certificated employees.

The cuts include 101 categorical employees, which includes at least 36 administrators.

“This budget is unlike last year where the district was able to return a majority of its teachers,” said Jim Kidwell, OMSD deputy superintendent. “There will be some that will return, but I don’t expect as many as the past.”

The reductions are part of $23 million in cuts the district must make to balance its budget for 2010-11.

The layoff announcement was made at Thursday’s school board meeting.

March 15 is the final business day that school districts can send out preliminary layoff notices, which informs teachers, counselors, nurses and other certificated personnel that they might not have a job at the end of the school year.

Without such notices, employees can’t be released from their jobs.

“What we’re trying to do is also make cuts at the district level and therefore trying to keep it away from the class room,” said Casey Cridelich, district assistant superintendent of business.

The district, which includes the cities of Ontario and Montclair, has 26 elementary schools, six middle schools and one alternative school.

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