(Back L-R) Members of the Ukiah Unified School District Board of Education Beatriz Arkin, John Bailey, Carolyn Johnson, and Clerk Fred Keplinger gather at the district service center boardroom in Ukiah, Calif., on Thursday, February 26, 2026. (Front L-R) Superintendent Executive Assistant Debbie Ornelas, Chief Business Official Steve Barekman, Assistant Superintendent of Education Services Katie Sommer, and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Angela O’Donnell sit in front of the board. The Ukiah Unified School District Board of Education on Thursday approved laying off nearly 20 teaching and counseling positions for the 2026-27 school year. (Sydney Fishman/Bay City News)

UKIAH, CA., 2/27/26 – The Ukiah Unified School District Board of Education on Thursday approved laying off nearly 20 teaching and counseling positions for the 2026-27 school year. The board also voted to eliminate six non-teaching roles.

The district’s service center boardroom on Thursday night was mostly empty, with no attendees besides district employees, as board members gathered at the front of the room to begin the meeting.

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Sydney Fishman is a UC Berkeley California Local News Fellow and lives full time in Ukiah. Reach her at sydney@mendovoice.com or through her Signal username @sydannfish.67.