Los Angeles Unified School District Faces Potential Massive Layoffs

District cites 'dangerously high deficit numbers' of over $1 billion as it considers cutting thousands of jobs

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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One of the largest school districts in California, the Los Angeles Unified School District, may begin issuing potential layoff notices to thousands of employees due to 'dangerously high deficit numbers' of over $1 billion. The district is facing lower enrollment and higher operating costs, and is required by California law to alert employees of potential layoffs by March 15 for the following school year.

Why it matters

Layoffs in the education sector can reflect broader economic uncertainty, as strained state budgets and inflationary pressures impact school district finances. This comes at a time when the U.S. job market is showing signs of instability, with fewer additional jobs created in 2025 compared to the Great Recession recovery period.

The details

The LAUSD board is set to discuss potential layoffs on Tuesday, which could impact around 2,600 contract management employees and certificated administrators, as well as 657 central office positions ranging from assistant area bus supervisors to IT staff. While layoff notices do not necessarily mean an employee will be let go, they signal the district's looming financial challenges as it plans for the next school year. LAUSD is facing a projected deficit of $877 million for fiscal year 2026-27 and $443 million for 2027-28, with around 90% of its revenue going towards staff.

  • The LAUSD board is set to discuss potential layoffs on Tuesday.
  • Layoff notices must be issued by March 15 under California law.

The players

Los Angeles Unified School District

One of the largest school districts in California, with over 83,000 employees including teachers, administrators, and support staff.

Saman Bravo-Karimi

The chief financial officer of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Bryan Driscoll

An HR consultant who commented on the situation facing the Los Angeles Unified School District.

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What they’re saying

“The reduction in force — given the size of our financial outlook, given what most districts are facing in the state and given the vast majority of our resources are, as they should be, spend on staff — it will need to be done at some point.”

— Saman Bravo-Karimi, Chief Financial Officer, Los Angeles Unified School District (Newsweek)

“Workers in one of the largest school districts in the country should know that any coming layoffs are not a result of their performance. It's the result of politics, budgets, and years of structural underfunding colliding with shortsighted financial decisions. Employees should know three things: first, everything is negotiable, including severance and timelines; second, union protections and bumping rights matter; third, layoffs in public education rarely reflect your individual merit.”

— Bryan Driscoll, HR Consultant (Newsweek)

What’s next

The Los Angeles Unified School District's board is set to discuss the potential layoffs on Tuesday, and the district must issue layoff notices to employees by March 15 under California law.

The takeaway

The potential layoffs at the Los Angeles Unified School District reflect broader economic instability and the impact of strained state budgets and inflationary pressures on the education sector. This situation highlights the need for long-term solutions to address structural revenue problems in public education, rather than relying on short-term labor cuts to close budget gaps.