West Contra Costa virtual education fair set for Jan. 22-29

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WCCUSD proposes 10% staff cut to pay for 8% raises and close $127 million deficit The West Contra Costa Unified School District has proposed a 10% staff reduction across all unions to help fund recently negotiated 8% salary increases and address a looming $127 million structural deficit. During a January 14 budget presentation, district staff revealed that the 10% workforce cut is a central part of a $60 million savings plan needed over the next three years to keep the district from falling into state receivership. This fiscal crisis stems from the gap between these higher labor costs and a significant decline in state revenue. The proposed layoffs would impact approximately 140 full-time positions within the United Teachers of Richmond alone. Acting Associate Superintendent Jeff Carter informed the board that the district must slash $3.1 million in the 2025–2026 school year, followed by a much larger $42.4 million cut in 2026–2027 and a final $14.2 million the following year. In addition to reducing staff, the district is exploring the "right-sizing" of its school network by merging or closing under-enrolled campuses, which could save an estimated $11.3 million. To maintain daily operations in the meantime, the district is rapidly depleting its emergency reserves. Officials confirmed that a $28.5 million special reserve fund will be completely exhausted, while another $13 million is being withdrawn annually from retiree health benefit accounts. These recommendations will now move to the Board of Education, which is expected to begin formal discussions and voting on specific school closures and layoff notices throughout February.
Photo credit: Kathy Chouteau

By Sara Sandhu

The West Contra Costa Unified School District and EnrollWCC are partnering once again to host the 2022 West Contra Costa Education Fair, Jan. 22-29. 

The virtual fair officially kicks off Saturday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. with a keynote address from Keyanna Hatcher, an associate director from Educational Talent Search providing college preparation support for local low-income students. Families can then attend virtual sessions that discuss life after high school for Black, Latino, and special education students, and learn more about how to meet student mental health needs in the social media era. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be provided for all sessions. 

This year’s fair will also introduce the West Contra Costa School Champion Awards to honor the contributions of school support staff nominated by peers and community members. Nominees will be recognized on the Education Fair’s official Facebook page throughout January and February. 

To view the complete schedule for this year’s Education Fair, visit www.wccedfair.com. To RSVP, click here.  

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Note from the Education Fair organizers: “In the interest of keeping everyone in our community safe, we are going to do our part and pivot the in-person event on Saturday January 29th 10am-12pm, to a virtual event. This will be an opportunity for families to connect one-on-one with representatives from the schools in our community as well as local community organizations and college partners. We are also adding a “help desk” section to offer families one-on-one technology and financial aid support.”

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This post was originally published at GO Public Schools West Contra Costa. Sara Sandhu is a West Contra Costa Unified School District graduate and the director of communications for Go Public Schools West Contra Costa.

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