New LAUSD Superintendent to Take Pay Cut Amid Budget Woes

One month after the school district's strapped budget caused thousands of job cuts, incoming Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy opted to take less pay than his predecessor.

Deasy told school board members Saturday to withold part of his annual salary as they continue to work out a budget deficit for the new year.

"This is remarkably painful and emotional" Deasy wrote in an email to board members last week. "As such, given our current circumstances, at this time I respectfully will not accept the salary offered in your contract."

The $55,000 cut, roughly 17% of his paycheck, reflects the salary Deasy previously earned while serving as deputy superintendent.

The decision was met with praise from union workers, who have long criticized the district's brutal layoffs. Last month, 7,000 teachers received preliminary layoff notices if the budget cannot be balanced.

The board also voted to make over $400 million in cuts, which could be nearly cut in half if voters approve of Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed extension of tax increases.

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