Despite missing a crucial deadline to send out teacher layoff notices, the Denair Unified School District cut more employee hours and positions in an effort to avoid a state takeover.

With DUSD trustee Carolyn Brown absent, the board voted unanimously on Thursday to cut approximately 14 full-time jobs, including seven kindergarten through eighth grade teachers, a high school physical education teacher, and two community day school teachers.

“These decisions are difficult,” said Interim Superintendent Walt Hanline. “Each of these recommendations impact people, kids and the staff that works for our district.”

Hanline said that given the district’s financial crisis, the district is allowed to reopen the layoff notices period, even after the budget was passed.

“The state allowed us to open a window for the August layoffs since the local control funding formula of average daily attendance for this year did not increase by at least 2 percent,” said Hanline.

The layoff notices will be challenged by the Denair Unified Teachers Association since the issues were sent out after the  May 15 deadline.

“Give me three or four weeks,” Hanline said to those in attendance at Thursday's board meeting. “Once we get the budget cleaned out we’ll be able to see if we can restore some of the teacher positions and programs. If you stick with us long term, I promise you Denair is going to restore the reputation it had.”

Affected teachers have the right to request a hearing after July 22. The district has not yet reached an agreement with bargaining units of the teachers and support staff unions on a mandated 3.5 percent cut from salaries.