According to the Sacramento Bee, the Twin Rivers Unified School District is having financial trouble and needs to lay off roughly 150 employees to ease the pain; however, the district cannot let these staff go due to provisions in the California education code. The code prohibits newly unified districts from laying off support staff for at least two years after reorganization. Twin Rivers’ period began in July, leaving them with a little more than a year and a half left until they can constrict the payroll for support staff.

Twin Rivers projects they could face a $13.6 million deficit by the end of the next fiscal year. Roughly 85 percent of the their budget goes to salaries and employee benefits, with the remaining 15 percent covering the cost of utilities.

Hopes are the financial troubles won’t affect students; however, some expect higher-paid, experienced teachers to be driven out of the district and programs to be cut.

For more information read the article “Fiscally strapped Twin Rivers school district facing layoff limits” at Sacbee.com.