San Diego Unified School District Issues Layoff Notices

Over 200 positions, including cafeteria workers and bus drivers, face potential cuts

Mar. 16, 2026 at 11:36pm

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The San Diego Unified School District has issued preliminary layoff notices for over 200 positions, including cafeteria workers, bus drivers, special education and teacher aides. While 40% of the positions are already vacant, the cuts will still impact students, according to the union chapter president. The district superintendent hopes to reassign half of the affected educators, leaving around 70 employees facing layoffs.

Why it matters

School district budget cuts and layoffs can have significant impacts on students, affecting services and support they rely on. This is part of a broader trend of staffing reductions across San Diego County school districts as they grapple with financial pressures.

The details

The preliminary layoff notices were issued by the San Diego Unified School District ahead of the March 15 deadline. The cuts target over 200 positions, including cafeteria workers, bus drivers, special education and teacher aides. While 40% of the positions are already vacant, the union chapter president says the loss of these support staff will hurt students who rely on them. The district superintendent hopes to reassign half of the affected educators, leaving around 70 employees facing layoffs.

  • The preliminary layoff notice deadline was on March 15, 2026.
  • Districts have until May 15, 2026 to finalize all layoff decisions.

The players

San Diego Unified School District

The largest school district in San Diego County, serving over 100,000 students.

Dawn Basques

Union Chapter President representing employees at San Diego Unified School District.

Fabiola Bagula

Superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District.

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What they’re saying

“They have the person who sees them at the gate, the person who feeds them, the person who drives them to school. And now they're just going to be gone. It hurts them.”

— Dawn Basques, Union Chapter President (NBC 7)

“March is often one of the most difficult times in the school year for a district and said she hopes to reassign half of the educators in the positions being cut.”

— Fabiola Bagula, Superintendent (NBC 7)

What’s next

Districts have until May 15, 2026 to finalize all layoff decisions, so the full impact of the cuts at San Diego Unified School District remains to be seen.

The takeaway

The layoff notices at San Diego Unified School District are part of a broader trend of budget-driven staffing reductions across the region, which can significantly impact the services and support available to students. As districts work to balance their budgets, the challenge will be to minimize disruptions to students' educational experiences.