In a letter the school board members Saturday, Deasy said he wants to continue earning his $275,000 salary when he takes over from Superintendent Ramon Cortines on April 15.
Cortines makes $250,000 a year.
"Given our fiscal situation, I simply cannot at this time take the salary offered," Deasy wrote to the school board.
Deasy signed a $330,000-a-year contract in December to lead the nation's second-largest school district. He said he would accept that larger salary once financial conditions improve at the district. Deasy's contract does not include a buyout clause, but it does include full benefits and retirement packages.
LAUSD faces a $408 million deficit in the 2011-12 school year and could have to lay off up to 5,200 teachers to close the gap.
Some labor unions had criticized Deasy for taking a salary so much higher than Cortines, especially in these challenging times for school districts.
On Saturday, union leaders were happy with Deasy's announcement.
"Bravo John," said United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy. "You did the right thing."
In his letter to the school board, Deasy also mentioned his desire to negotiate with labor for financial solutions that could help save jobs. He
also said he would like unions to negotiate on limiting the use of seniority as the sole criteria for laying off teachers in tight budget conditions."It will be my hope that our unions, but especially UTLA, will promptly negotiate terms of an agreement that will both save the jobs of their membership and put in place an evaluation system that is robust, fair and offers us and the membership ways to make decisions about hiring, placement, promotion, and (when necessary) layoffs that are NOT quality blind," Deasy wrote.
"The last-in-first-out, way of doing business is a terrible, arcane situation... I hope we can all work together quickly to serve both the membership and the youth."
Brittany Lee Carmen Electra Vinessa Shaw Kerry Suseck Brooke Burke
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