11 Employees Let Go By Novato Unified School District

Eleven employees were laid off by the on Tuesday in a move clearly blamed on the ongoing fiscal mess in Sacramento.

The school board voted unanimously to approve the layoffs that were anticipated when letters went out March 15 to employees occupying more than 24 positions. On Tuesday, Interim Superintendent Pam Conklin planned to bring forth a resolution that called for 21.8 full-time equivalent positions being eliminated, but because of retirements, resignations and contracts that were not renewed the number was reduced to 7.4 full-time equivalents — spread out over 11 employees, most of whom worked part-time.

“Basically this is the result of the state government’s inability to govern,” said trustee Derek Knell. “I don’t know about you, but I’m frustrated. We need to look for a way to break the logjam up there.”

The most prominent name on the list was that of Kathy Marshall, the district’s director of instruction and curriculum.

Conklin prefaced the vote by saying, “It’s truly one of the most difficult decisions that comes before the board. Unfortunately it comes every year because of the recent fiscal circumstances in our state. … There have been instances where the circumstances change between March and May, but unfortunately that was not the case for the majority this time.”

Conklin added that the state’s education situation is “unbelievable and unfair” and said the $2.6 million in cuts “might not even be near what we need to do if some of the proposals go through at the state level.”

Knell didn’t hesitate to show his frustration.

“I don’t see how we can cut $4 million out of this budget and educate close to 8,000 students,” he said. “But somehow we’re going to have to find a way to become smaller and more efficient in our operations.”

Earlier in Tuesday’s meeting, the trustees agreed to pay $195,000 to the district’s new superintendent, . The figure is about $10,000 more than what retired superintendent Jan La Torre-Derby was paid this school year.

Trustee Cindi Clinton tried to rally the district troops despite the painful cuts.

“With less and less physical human capital and less resources avail, (the employees) continue to come in every single day and give beyond what’s expected of them,” she said. “Their performance continues to be stellar and of the highest quality.”