LA school board approves plan to cut 5,000 jobs over next 2 years to close $1.2B budget gap

LA schools approve plan to cut 5,000 jobs

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles school board has approved a budget plan that calls for more than 5,000 job cuts.

District Superintendent Ramon Cortines presented the board with various proposals Tuesday to deal with a projected budget deficit of $1.2 billion for the next two school years.

Projected layoffs would include almost 1,400 teachers. Average class size would jump to 29 students from 24.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest, laid off some 2,000 teachers this academic year.

About 300 teachers and supporters protested outside the meeting, chanting and waving signs that read, “Enough is enough.”