The assault on public employees and unions to “give their fair share” to help limit continuing budget upheaval has moved to the beleaguered Hayward Unified School District. While the man who some say put the city’s schools on the path to possible receivership is in the running for the top job in San Diego.

The Daily Review reported the school district is prepared to tell the county–tail tucked between its legs–as it stands, it may not be able to bring a $8.2 million shortfall into balance. The school district, already under watch by the state, is facing a bad situation getting worse. Two months ago, two high schools in Hayward were named by the state Department of Education for their poor academic showing.

According to the article, school board member Jesus Armas took exception to another member’s position seemingly backing the teacher’s union and asserting more cuts should be targeted at administration. Armas, who was recently named to the board and is a former city manager for city said, “It’s disingenuous to serve on the board for two years, yet not bring forward any proposals for the other board members,” he said. “It’s easy to vote ‘No.’ It’s easy to say, ‘I won’t balance the budget on the backs of teachers.’ It just shifts the responsibility to other (trustees).”

Hayward teacher are likely to hit hard with possible furlough days and increased class sizes, but one of their past nemesis, former superintendent Dale Vigil, is looking for better days down south and the district is sure not helping him. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the enemies of Vigil in Hayward wrote a letter to the San Diego Unified School District–the state’s second largest–to notify them of his rocky tenure in the East Bay. Vigil was fired in December after numerous run-ins with the teacher’s union and declining levels of excellence in the city’s schools. Two others besides Vigil are in the running for the job.

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