East San Jose school district to vote on layoffs for student safety, mental health staff

East Side Union High School District’s board of education will vote on whether to layoff dozens of staff dedicated to protecting students’ mental health, wellbeing and safety Thursday night.

The proposed layoffs — about $6.5 million according to the district’s teachers union — would cut around 85 full-time positions, including eight counselors, seven social workers and five campus safety advisors, as well as several wellness center clerks, parent outreach coordinators and special education teachers, among others.

The vote comes as the district faces insolvency and a $9 million budget deficit for the 2026-27 school year.

But educators say the proposed cuts will harm the district’s most vulnerable students, who rely on the staff and services poised to be cut.

Jack Hamner, the president of the East Side Teachers Association, said 70% of the district’s students are English language learners, homeless, foster youth or low income and can’t afford to lose access to counselors, social workers and advisors.

“Those are some severely needy kids. They need their support systems more than ever,” Hamner said. “The positions they’re cutting, these are the mental health and wellness services that our kids desperately need.”

As an advisor at James Lick, Roberta Cabigas said her role on campus is to make sure everyone leaves alive at the end of the school day.

“We are responsible for everyone’s well-being,” Cabigas said. “We’re kind of like a clearinghouse for problems. … If kids don’t feel safe, they don’t learn.”

Cabigas, who has worked in the district for 28 years, said she’s responsible for everything from tracking daily attendance and supporting struggling students to breaking up fights and handling intruders on campus property.

“I teach my kids’ kids at this point. They’re like my grandkids,” Cabigas said. “A couple of my kids have come back to me with shocking stories (saying) ‘yeah, you saved my life that day.'”

Cabigas said she and one other advisor are currently responsible for about 800 kids on campus. But if the proposed cuts are approved, she said she could be responsible for upward of 1,100 kids and would be expected to split her days between campuses.

“It’s going to be violence out there,” Cabigas said. “Who’s going to respond to it?”

Social workers, counselors and school safety advisors in the district said that if approved, the cuts would threaten the district’s wellness centers — facilities where students can go to de-stress and access mental health services — as well as double the workload, increase wait times for services and limit the number of students who can be helped.

One counselor in the district — who requested anonymity out of fear of professional retaliation — said she and seven other counselors stand to lose their jobs if the cuts are approved. But more importantly, students will lose access to regular help with academic planning, course selection, financial aid assistance and college applications at a time of immense fear and uncertainty for many students and families in the district, she said.

“I’ve had students who come in that worry about their future. I have first-generation students that are concerned about what next year looks like,” she said. “Kids don’t schedule their crisis. … And if that counselor’s not there, they need to find someone else and everyone is stretched thin.”

The proposed cuts at East Side Union High School District come as school districts across the Bay Area are facing multimillion-dollar budget gaps and being forced to choose which programs to cut, staff to lay-off or schools to close to remain fiscally solvent. Oakland Unified School District currently faces a $50 million budget deficit for the 2026-27 school year, while Alum Rock Union School District and Franklin-McKinley School District turned to school closures last year in an attempt to tackle $20 million budget deficits.

Hamner, the teacher’s union president, said the union understands cuts need to be made, but they should be spread evenly throughout the district, not on crucial student services.

“We’re not asking them to not cut anything, but we’re asking them to wise up and take some reduction on administrators,” Hamner said. “We’re supposed to be student centered and focused on what our students need.”

The board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. online and in-person at 830 N Capitol Avenue.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.