Ken Lopez-Maddox

O.C. schools finalize more than 1,500 teacher cuts

Fermin Leal and Scott Martindale This year, many districts are relying heavily on negotiations with unions for furlough days, salary reductions and other concessions that could pare away at their layoff numbers, officials said. Capistrano Unified, Magnolia and Anaheim Union High school districts, for example, have already rescinded dozens of notices after receiving some concessions from unions in new contracts. Capistrano Unified rescinded 38 of 84 layoff notices to tenured teachers and other certificated staff after union leaders and trustees settled a long-running contract dispute. “We are doing everything we can to retain personnel and not increase class sizes,” Capistrano Trustee Ken Lopez-Maddox said. “But the state budget is in a tailspin and we don’t yet know what it holds for public education. We are doing all we can to brace ourselves for what Sacramento might do.”