Pajaro Valley School District Faces Staff Cuts Amid Controversy

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board approved significant reductions in staffing, culminating in a highly contentious vote on December 11, 2025. The decision to cut nearly 160 positions, including teachers and mental health professionals, has sparked widespread criticism from the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers and local community members.

The year began with the new board—comprised of five recently elected or appointed trustees—facing the daunting task of addressing a projected budget shortfall. In February, the board initially rejected recommendations to eliminate up to 100 staff positions, but the issue resurfaced multiple times throughout the year, intensifying community opposition.

At the December meeting, the board voted 5-2 in favor of the cuts, which included 13 mental health clinicians, 25 behavior technicians, and 51.5 teaching positions. Brandon Diniz, president of the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers, expressed disappointment but emphasized the ongoing commitment to contest the cuts. “Our plan going forward is to continue to fight these cuts,” Diniz stated.

The district’s Superintendent Heather Contreras highlighted the financial pressures stemming from the expiration of one-time COVID-19 funding and declining enrollment. The district anticipates a loss of 500 students in the 2025-26 academic year. “We really hadn’t done too much to address the declining enrollment,” she said, acknowledging the need for urgent budget assessments.

Community members voiced their concerns at board meetings, emphasizing the potential negative impact on vulnerable students. Diniz noted a worrying trend: “I see overloaded classrooms all across our district, students whose mental health needs will go unmet, and teachers struggling with behavior issues.”

Despite the community’s requests to prioritize administrative staff cuts, Contreras defended the board’s decision. She stated, “We’re not really reducing services to our students. We’re just realigning the services that we provided before to the number of students that we now have.” Contreras assured that approximately 100 behavior technicians and 22 counseling positions would remain intact.

The cuts ignited passionate debates within the community, particularly regarding the welfare of special education students. Diniz expressed concerns that the reductions would hinder these students’ ability to thrive in inclusive settings. “With the district eliminating so many instructional aides, we are sliding backwards to an era where our special needs students will be segregated,” he warned.

The board’s decision-making process has come under scrutiny. After a tense December meeting where public comments were limited, Diniz criticized the board for not allowing community input. “They turned away students who waited six hours to speak,” he said. The union is considering contesting the board’s actions, asserting violations of public participation rights.

Planning for future staffing needs, Contreras indicated that the district will engage in discussions about early retirement incentives aimed at mitigating layoffs. “It looks favorable for both of our bargaining units,” she noted, suggesting possible alternatives to outright cuts.

The ongoing budget challenges have prompted discussions of potential school closures, which Contreras acknowledged would require extensive community input. “That involves the entire community and input from the entire community when you do that,” she explained.

As the district prepares for further discussions and potential staffing changes in 2026, Diniz remains vigilant. “We’re not going to stop. We’re going to keep fighting and keep finding ways to organize and escalate our actions,” he asserted, signaling that community engagement around these issues will continue to grow.

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s budgetary issues reflect broader challenges faced by educational institutions across California, particularly those relying on funding models tied to student attendance. The upcoming months will be crucial as the district navigates financial constraints while attempting to maintain educational standards.