Solano County schools are in the midst of a downhill race toward $100 million in budget cuts over two years, prompting teachers and education supporters on Thursday to declare they've had enough.
Napa County teachers also will participate in the statewide "Start the Day for Students" protests Thursday.
"We have no money at this point in time for supplies for our school. Anything that we run out of we have to rely upon parents to give us," said Kathy Kerridge, a third-grade teacher at Donaldson Way Elementary School in American Canyon.
Thursday's campaign against education budget cuts extends beyond K-12 education to college students.
Teachers at Kerridge's school plan to protest from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. in front of the school. Vallejo teachers are to hold a march along the waterfront after school Thursday.
That night, Benicia Unified School District board members are expected to vote on laying off the equivalent of 19.6 full-time certificated -- teaching and management-type -- employees, including more than a dozen elementary teachers.
The night before, the Vallejo City Unified School District board is scheduled to take up its own vote on laying off more than 100 employees.
Vallejo, Benicia and Napa school districts are all proposing increased class sizes in kindergarten through third grade to save money next year.
The Napa Valley Unified School District is looking to increase those classes from 24 to 29 students, after raising them
from 20 to 24 students this year, Napa teachers union representative Natalie Regan said.Teachers also are expecting four furlough days next year unless the district gets an infusion of cash, which is not expected, Regan said.
