The last day of classes at Del Cerro's Hearst Elementary School started with teachers, students and others rallying outside the school building and chanting "save our teachers."
With more than 1,500 teacher layoffs set to go into effect June 30 it isn't clear what the classrooms San Diego Unified students return to in the fall will look like.
Late last week San Diego’s teachers union agreed to limited bargaining with the district to bring back at least some of the laid off teachers.
But those protesting outside Hearst want to keep the school's six laid off teachers without foregoing scheduled pay raises or continuing five furlough days.
“If we have the support of all of our parents and the students I think we can actually get the word out and put the heat back on the board and show them that this is not what we want,” said Amy Varas, one of the school's teachers who has not been laid off.
Until last week teachers union leaders said the district’s budget numbers were unreliable. After a review by the California Teachers Association they said it was clear the financial challenges creating the district’s $122 million budget deficit for next year aren’t going to disappear.
