NEWPORT BEACH : Schools to Rehire 60 to 65 Teacher Aides

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District today will begin rehiring 60 to 65 instructional and bilingual aides, almost the full complement of aides who were laid off during the last school year when board members were forced to cut the jobs due to budgetary woes.

Supt. John Nicoll told school board members that the selection process will begin today The aides will work one to three hours daily.

“Now that the powers that be in Sacramento have funded some major categories, we expect nearly all the laid-off aides to be re-employed,” Nicoll said.

The state this week budgeted $1.2 million for the School Improvement Program, which pays for the aides, Nicoll said. That’s money the district didn’t expect to get this year.

“The union is very pleased that the funding for the aides has been restored,” said Susan Ross, spokeswoman for the California School Employees Assn.

Before school started this month, six of the 34 teachers who were laid off were hired back, school officials said. Four bilingual elementary school teachers, one high school French teacher and nine long-term substitute teachers also were hired.