Facing more than a $114 million budget deficit, the district handed out pink slips to 160 paraeducators and counselors last February.
Those affected were bilingual support staff, instructional aids for students with disabilities, family liaisons, wellness staff, nutrition coordinators, speech therapists, psychologists, and community aids.
But at the May 12 Board of Education meeting, students, educators, and families shared their stories about the importance of having support staff in schools.
Frank Lara from the SFUSD teachers union says
“some of these positions have been there for a decade. They may be the only stabilizing force for families.”
The new district budget was approved at that meeting and kept all but nine of the paraeducator positions.
