Santa Clara County educators criticize layoffs, federal grant freeze
Santa Clara County educators criticize layoffs, federal grant frozen
SEIU Local 521 says 141 of its classified union members recently received pink slips along with at least 49 Early Learning Services faculty.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) has notified hundreds of employees that they’ll lose their jobs as of June 30. Federal funding for its Head Start program, which serves low-income families, is being cut due to the federal funding freeze set by the Trump administration.
At least 49 Early Learning faculty members are being laid off and union groups asked the board to help save their jobs and to stand up for the county’s children, who’ll be impacted the most.
SEIU Local 521 gathered at the Santa Clara County Office of Education on Wednesday to express their concerns after learning that employees working with its Head Start program will be terminated as of June 30. Early Learning programs like Head Start serve low-income children from birth to five years old and are designed to help develop social and academic skills.
"The Head Start program and Early Learning as a whole, have been entirely gutted," said Sandy Fakaosi, a member of SEUI Local 521.
What we know:
The union says 141 of its classified union members recently received pink slips along with 49 Early Learning Services faculty members. Because of a federal funding freeze, the Office of Education says it’s losing $76.4 million in grant funding, and it cannot guarantee the grant will be reinstated for the next fiscal year.
"We’ve been told that the reason for the cut is the uncertainty around federal funding, around federal grants. We have to fight for that. We have to fight to keep that money coming in for the children," said Fakaosi.
The other side:
The Office of Education released a statement saying in part:
"Like many educational agencies across the state and nation, SCCOE faces budgetary challenges caused by expiring grants, declining student enrollment, and rising operational costs. These difficult decisions are necessary to sustain essential programs for students and families." – Santa Clara County Office of Education
Still, at Wednesday’s board meeting, employees and parents voiced their frustration about faculty job cuts, and school closures.
"It’s terrifying to see what our services to students will look like after these cuts," said one SCCOE employee.
"Our students aren’t numbers. They have needs that are unique and high," said an SCCOE faculty member.
Other programs affected include California State Preschool Programs, and Migrant Education.
The Office of Education also says enrollment has declined by over 11% since 2019 and its core funding has remained the same.
The Source: Santa Clara County Office of Education, SEIU Local 521, San Jose Spotlight
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