Over 100 teachers, school employees, students and union members gathered outside the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) headquarters Wednesday evening to protest proposed layoffs set for next spring.
Chants of “No layoffs!” and “Workers united will never be divided!” could be heard from inside the office, where LBUSD board members conducted their meeting.
Several Teacher’s Association of Long Beach (TALB) members spoke at the event, as well as LBUSD board members and Mayor Rex Richardson.
“When a teacher gets laid off, it isn’t just a number on a spreadsheet,” TALB board member Grace Castro said to the crowd. “It’s a professional who’s dedicated their life to serving children suddenly being told they are expendable. Yet every time the district faces financial trouble, cuts are aimed squarely at the classroom.”
The proposed district budget cuts could lay off hundreds of teachers and school employees next year, including cutting half of its librarians and media assistants.
It also announced the closure of Hoover Middle School last week, and its plans to repurpose the site for a Dual Immersion program. Additional school closures are being considered as a strategy to save funds and “maximize resources,” according to the district.
LBUSD is making these cuts in response to a $100 million budget deficit projected by the end of the year, after a loss in revenue, increased spending and decreased state and federal funding.
The district has lost about 20% of its student enrollment over the past 20 years, plummeting its revenue from $1.69 billion in 2022-23 to $1.19 billion in 2025-26.
Student attendance has also declined, falling to 91% in 2024-25, a 5% decrease from pre-pandemic levels, according to the district.
The district has also cited growing expenses, including an increase in health benefit rates for employees, special education programs and student transportation, as contributors to the deficit. It mentioned an increase in one-on-one student behavioral aides, which is growing at a rate that is “not sustainable.”
Since 2024, LBUSD has heavily relied on its reserves, which it says are quickly dwindling.
Recently announced budget cuts for 2026-2027 include:
- $10 million in central office reductions
- $13 million in site-level enrollment-based staff (including teachers, assistant principals, counselors, instructional office assistants and campus assistants)
- Reduction in Title I per-pupil allocations to school sites
- Discontinuation of Parent Community Facilitator positions at elementary and middle schools and Elementary Care and Support Centers
- Reduction of Title I support for Child Development programs
- 50% reduction of Instruction and Intervention Coordinators for non–Title I elementary schools
- Reductions to Wellness Center Social Workers
- Revised library staffing based on enrollment and Title I status, with all schools receiving at least one day per week
- Elimination of unrestricted support for the Educare program
- Reductions to Local Control and Accountability Plan per-pupil school site allocations
- Reductions to contracts and other services
The district estimates these cuts will save them $47.5 million.
Several union members expressed concern about classroom cuts and how they will impact teachers, employees, students and families.
TALB President Gerry Morrison said it’s a “troubling time” for teachers living in fear and uncertainty about their jobs.
“We think the cuts should start at the top, that they should be cutting administrator positions, they should be cutting their staff down, their headquarters down … cutting teachers in the classroom should be the last thing that gets cut,” Morrison said.
Macey Beavers, a teacher at James Madison Elementary, said she is worried about losing her job as a somewhat newer teacher.
“The layoffs and the budget cuts don’t need to be on the backs of the teachers,” Beavers said. “It’s just not going to be fair to our students and our classrooms.”
The TALB bargaining team is still in talks with the district, offering alternative suggestions on where to cut as well as negotiating their next contract, which was delayed after TALB members rejected a tentative agreement in June. Morrison said he hopes they will reach a new agreement by Christmas break.
“Both sides do acknowledge that it’s a tough economic time with a lot of uncertainties from both the state level and federal level,” said Peder Larsen, math teacher at Jordan High and TALB vice president.
For now, union members continue to stay active through upcoming events, including task force and council meetings.
“We need you to go back to your sites, rally the troops – the fight is just beginning,” California School Employees Association President Brandon Gillett told the crowd at the rally.
