By Alexander J. Schorr
Photo: Screenshot of audience members
March 3, 2025 (El Cajon) – Grossmont Union High School District’s board voted 4-1 to fire 49 credentialed teachers, including all high school librarians, despite vocal objections from a large crowd at the Feb. 27 meeting held at El Cajon Valley High School’s multi-purpose room. All seats were filled with protesting students, teachers, classified staff, librarians, and mental health workers.
There were about 600 people present at the facility, with a petition readily available before the meeting for signatures to vote against the resolution ultimately passing. As of February 28 there were 1,531 petition signers.
By Miriam Raftery
February 27, 2025 (El Cajon) -- At 4:30 today, the Grossmont Union-High School District is holding a special meeting to considering firing 49 employees including all high school librarians. Others targeted include English teachers, psychologists and more.
Opponents of cutting librarians have set up a website at https://sites.google.com/view/save-guhsd-librarians/home. It includes a petition which has gathered over 1,100 signatures as of late this afternoon.
“The Grossmont Union High School District Board majority is pulling the same shady tricks as last year. They are planning layoffs claiming no money when they are holding a 13% reserve fund. This is well over state requirements,” says Jay Steiger, former GUHSD candidate who previously served on the district’s bond oversight committee.
View the full list of 49 positions on the chopping block. The 4:30 p.m. meeting of the GUHSD board will be held today at El Cajon Valley High School’s multipurpose room, 1035 East Madison Avenue in El Cajon.
By G. A. McNeeley
February 19, 2025 (El Cajon) - There’s a lot happening on Grossmont Campus, including a variety of free and paid events open to the general public as well as students, staff and faculty. These include concerts, movies, theatrical productions, blood drives, and more.
By a school counselor, who asked to remain anonymous
Photo:CC by SA via Bing
February 13, 2025 (El Cajon, CA) -- The Grossmont Union High School District is set to eliminate 22 school counseling positions next year. This is not just a number—these are people who are on the frontlines, working day in and day out to support our students through mental health crises, academic struggles, and life challenges. Does the public understand what this means? Does anyone care that the care for our kids is about to drastically decrease?
School counselors do far more than manage schedules and guide college applications. We are the ones who step in when students are on the brink of despair, offering a safe space when they feel they have nowhere else to turn.
Today, I saved a life. I had a student walk into my office feeling like there was no hope left, contemplating ending their life. But I was there. I listened, I acted, and I made sure they got the help they needed before it was too late.
By Alex Schorr
Photo,Left to Right: Dr. Gary Woods (President, Area 3 Trustee), Robert Shield (Vice President, Area 4 Trustee), Scott Eckert (Clerk, Area 2 Trustee), Jim Kelly (Member, Area 5 Trustee), and Chris Fite (Member, Area 1 Trustee).
February 9, 2025 (El Cajon) – Teachers, parents, and community members leveled sharp criticism of the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) board of trustees during a special budget workshop meeting on February 6. Numerous speakers objected to the board’s creation of a costly new chief of staff position and waiving of board policies to do so, after the board majority earlier voted to lay off numerous employees, including many teachers.