Planning for Reductions in Force Webinar Series (2022)

About the Webinar

During the era of acute staffing shortages in California public education, it is difficult to contemplate that some local educational agencies (LEAs) may be also grappling with the need to reduce staffing levels. Reductions in Force are necessary for many reasons, but the central reason in 2021-22 is declining enrollment. Many LEAs have also added to staffing levels due to intensive instructional and program needs and have funded this staffing through temporary COVID-related funding. However, at the top of the list of reasons to contemplate layoffs is the average daily attendance (ADA) hold harmless which expires in 2022-23, resulting in some LEAs experiencing two years’ worth of ADA losses in a single year (losses experienced in 2020-21 and 2021-22).

Layoff procedures for LEA employees are complicated, restrictive, and the timelines prescribed by the statute do not align with the State Budget timelines. The passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 438, which applies the existing layoff protocols granted to certificated employees to classified employees, has intensified the already complex process, resulting in significant operational concerns related to an LEA’s ability to stay legally compliant while managing the process with empathy and accuracy. This webinar will focus on both certificated and classified layoff procedures, with an intensive operational focus. Specifically, amendments made to Education Code Section (EC §) 45117 due to AB 438 will be examined in depth.

This webinar will assist human resources (HR) and business staff in pre-layoff planning and will provide technical advice for certificated and classified staffing reductions that start well in advance of the first statutory deadline of March 15 and long before you call in your labor attorney. In addition to statutory information, topics covered will focus on best practices and sound methodologies for implementing precise and accurate layoff processes. The webinar will be full of resources including, but not limited to, notice templates, sample bumping scenario worksheets, sample forms, communication documents, and planning checklists.

Webinar content is presented by School Services of California Inc. HR and governmental relations experts and is intended for practitioners who are directly involved in the planning, preparation, and implementation of reductions in force.

Dates and Times:

Part 1: January 11, 2022, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Part 2: January 13, 2022, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Fee Includes Both Webinars