East San Jose school district to lay off over 80 workers amid deficit, enrollment drop

AN EAST SAN JOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT is laying off employees as it faces a budget deficit and declining student enrollment.

East Side Union High School District is giving pink slips to more than 80 workers, with layoffs taking effect at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year. The decision follows a vote by the school board in late January amid a projected $30 million budget deficit. The loss of one-time federal COVID dollars and a drop in enrollment from 23,336 students in 2017-18 to 19,141 in 2025-26 led to this decision, Superintendent Glenn Vander Zee said.