School IT Department Reorganization Means Lay-Offs

In a reorganization of its IT department, the Santa Barbara school district will likely lay off six or seven employees. The redesign is an effort to align its personnel with the district’s Strategic Plan which puts a premium on integrating technology into the classroom, and on correcting the district’s formerly slapdash method of hiring, according to Director of Technology Todd Ryckman. When Trustee Kate Parker asked how that would affect morale, Ryckman said he felt morale would improve because job duties would match job descriptions.