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The Los Angeles Unified School District just adopted a belt-tightening budget that school officials 鈥� but the district鈥檚 teachers union and some education activists weren鈥檛 happy with the results. 

The nation鈥檚 second-largest school district in June approved a $18.8 billion budget, avoiding layoffs by tapping into retirement money for teachers. School officials said it was necessary after the end of federal COVID relief money, and less state funding tied to falling enrollment. 

LAUSD鈥檚 school board passed the budget unanimously. But the influential union that represents 35,000 teachers and educators in LAUSD, , wasn鈥檛 happy. 

The union opposed the new financial plan because it doesn鈥檛 anticipate the UTLA is pushing.

鈥淪tability means staffing that is experienced, familiar, and trusted,鈥� said UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz at a board meeting in June. 鈥淲e need a budget that raises salaries. We need to recruit and retain educators.鈥�

UTLA has been fighting for increased salaries for years 鈥� and the union scored a , with a contract that raised teachers鈥� pay by 21% on average. However, that contract expires in 2025, setting up another round of tough negotiations. 

Carvalho said he sympathized with the teachers鈥� union, but LAUSD has never received the federal and state money it needs. 鈥淭hose are the culprits,鈥� Carvalho said. 

Carvalho said he would not allow any furloughs or layoffs this year. But he and the board will reconsider staffing cuts when they take up the budget again in December, he said. 

鈥淣o one is losing their job. But we do have a problem for FY27, and we will be revisiting this issue,鈥� said Carvalho.

Meanwhile, Joseph Williams, Executive Director for the non-profit Students Deserve and a partner with the Police Free in LAUSD Coalition, said the groups opposed the district鈥檚 new budget because it contains funding for school police. 

鈥淲e are definitely of the opinion that absolutely no educational positions should be touched before every single police position is eliminated,鈥� Williams said. 

Some demands from Williams鈥� groups and the teachers union were realized in the new budget.

For example, UTLA鈥檚 Myart-Cruz urged Carvalho to make funding cuts to district operations and off-campus consultants in order to preserve funding for teachers. 

Carvalho made moves to honor that wish, reducing central operations funding by $200 million. 

The district then redirected that money to projects supported by the union and community groups such as Williams鈥�.

Myart-Cruz and others had asked the district to fund projects including the Black Student Achievement Plan, student centers, early education, LGBTQ+ support groups, and arts in schools. 

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