Fort Worth Independent School District officials will be making staff and budget cuts this week.
Citing a significant $43.6 million budget shortfall, Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Angélica M. Ramsey announced in an email to staff and parents that some employees would have to be let go. The staff reductions will reportedly allow for programs and resources aiming to boost student achievement results to stay in place.
Those affected by the cutbacks will be notified by the end of the week.
“It is with a heavy heart that we make these decisions, and we are doing so as early as possible to provide ample time for affected employees to explore alternative opportunities,” Ramsey wrote, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
At a board meeting on February 13, Ramsey further clarified that teachers would not be included in the layoffs, just non-teaching staff. The departments that will be affected were not disclosed, with Ramsey explaining she wanted to speak in person with those targeted for termination.
“We want to make sure they hear from us,” she said, according to Fox 4.
Despite having cut the district’s budget by $1.6 million last year, the absence of new state funding, the reduction of federal funding, and another projected decline in student enrollment figures have resulted in budgetary challenges.
Fort Worth ISD’s issues have been clear for some time now, with officials announcing last September that it had approved spending $2 million in taxpayer money for a facility capacity study in order to identify areas where potential adjustments could be made in light of declining student enrollment.
Amid lackluster academic results and increased competition from charter schools, the student body dropped from 87,233 students in 2016 to 72,783 students in 2023. School closures are thereby looming, with roughly four dozen Fort Worth ISD campuses reported as being below 70% occupancy, as previously covered in The Dallas Express.
Fort Worth ISD isn’t the only district facing tremendous budgetary challenges of late. Earlier this month Keller ISD announced that it would be laying off staff due to a $28 million budget shortfall, as covered in The Dallas Express.
Dallas ISD, which has been spending more per student than many North Texas school districts and still yielding dismal results when it comes to student achievement scores, has also seen a steady student enrollment decline over the last several years, according to data from the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
District Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde reported a $186 million deficit in December but so far has only planned to cut some unpopular high school programs, according to The Dallas Morning News.