SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Mountain View School in Logan Heights is just one campus possibly affected by layoffs as the San Diego Unified School District tries to close a nearly $94 million budget gap for next school year.
“I was just caught so off guard... I literally felt like someone punched me in the stomach," Lisa Riley told 10News, describing the moment she received a notice from the district informing her that she is among teachers to be laid off in that process.
Riley is currently the only kindergarten teacher at Mountain View.
“As a kindergarten teacher, we do much more than academics. We love them, we teach them how to treat others," she said.
She said the news about impending layoffs spread through their small school, quickly — even some of her former students came to her, emotional.
"It made me cry because these are students I pour my heart into," she said.
The district has said they are doing everything they can to minimize the impact on classrooms as they navigate reducing their budget — cutting things like software or supplies where possible.
However, at Mountain View, a Title 1 K-8 school that serves many lower-income families, teachers say any cut feels significant.
“With the flooding, and just the economic situation in this part of town, families want security their children," said Holly Hellerstedt.
Hellerstedt, a middle school teacher in her first her with the district at Mountain View, says her contract wasn't renewed for next year.
“I think it’s a lot of confusion and a lot of sadness," she said.
It's a sentiment echoed by some parents.
"It's devastating... our school is really small," said Gray Haak, a father with three kids at Mountain View.
Haak is joining other families countywide calling on the district to find another way to come up with the funds.
In a statement, the school district added in part: "We are maximizing attrition and available reserves to minimize layoffs, and we are hopeful we can continue to reduce the actual number of employees affected before May 15 when reductions are to be finalized."
