LAUSD Plan Could Delay Teacher Layoffs

Los Angeles - The LA Unified School District is facing a deficit of over 400-million dollars this school year alone. With no solution from Sacramento in sight, Superintendent-elect John Deasy is proposing a temporary fix that he says could save millions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

FOX 11's Gigi Graciette has the story in the video report.

Story Script:

DR. JOHN DEASY/SUPT-ELECT, LAUSD
"WE'RE GOING TO TRY TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS, LIKE A TOURNIQUET. IT'S SUCH A CRISIS WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND STOP SOME OF THE BLEEDING FOR ONE YEAR."

TRYING TO STOP THE BLEEDING AT LAUSD, SUPERINTENDENT ELECT JOHN DEASY HAS AN EMERGENCY PLAN HE SAYS COULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF JOBS.

DR. JOHN DEASY/SUPT-ELECT, LAUSD
"WE CAN SAVE ABOUT NINETY PERCENT OF THE SCHOOL BASED JOBS BUT ONLY FOR ONE YEAR."

HIS PROPOSAL INCLUDES HAVING EMPLOYEES TAKE EVEN MORE FURLOUGH DAYS AND REDIRECTING FUNDS FROM RESERVE ACCOUNTS.

HE SAYS LA UNIFIED COULD SAVE 300-MILLION DOLLARS, BUT FIRST IT WOULD NEED THE MUCH COVETED AND OFTEN HARD TO GET BLESSING OF ITS EMPLOYEE UNIONS.

DR. JOHN DEASY/SUPT-ELECT, LAUSD
"I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY ANYBODY'S GOING TO SAY 'WE WANT TO SEE OUR MEMBERSHIP FIRED'. THE DISTRICT DOES NOT. THAT'S WHY WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE KNOW HOW."

IN ORDER TO SAVE THE JOBS OF THE THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES WHO'VE ALREADY RECEIVED LAYOFF NOTICES, THE PLAN MUST BE APPROVED BY THE END OF THE MONTH.

DR. JOHN DEASY/SUPT-ELECT, LAUSD
"IT'S A HORRIBLE SITUATION AND IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO OFFER COMFORT UNLESS YOU HAVE A SOLUTION. SO EVEN IF IT IS TEMPORARY, ALBEIT THIS IS NOT WHAT WE DESIRE. WE DESIRE PERMANENT REVENUE SOURCES, TEMPORARY AT LEAST GIVES PEOPLE HOPE. AND PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE HOPE IF THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE YOUTH HOPE."

"BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE" IS HOW SOME UNION MEMBERS SAY THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS BUDGET SITUATION WITH LA UNIFIED.

ULTIMATELY THOUGH, IT WILL BE UP TO THEM AND THE UNION LEADERSHIP TO DECIDE IF THEY ACCEPT THIS EMERGENCY BUDGET PROPOSAL.