Fort Worth ISD has disclosed additional information regarding the district-wide layoffs announced earlier this week.
Superintendent Angelica Ramsey explained that she delayed revealing the specifics until the affected employees could be personally informed first.
According to a district spokesperson on Friday, a total of 133 positions will be either reduced or eliminated. Among these, four positions were funded through local district funds, while 129 positions were supported by federal dollars.
“Despite this, we want to emphasize that there are currently over 200 teaching positions available within the district, along with other roles in the district service center supporting our schools and students,” stated Cesar Padilla, a communications coordinator with FWISD, in an email to NBC 5. “We strongly encourage employees who have been affected to explore these available positions within the district.”
Padilla mentioned that the district’s Talent Management department will host an internal job fair on March 5 to aid employees in identifying potential employment opportunities.
During a special meeting on Tuesday night, school board members deliberated for three hours in executive session regarding which positions and how many would be impacted.
Following the meeting, Ramsey informed reporters that teachers would not be among those affected by the layoffs. She clarified that the focus is on positions due to more than 80% of the district’s budget being allocated to salaries.
The layoffs are attributed to several factors, including declining enrollment within FWISD over the past decade, according to Ramsey. Despite surpassing projections for the current year, enrollment continues to decline, as the city’s growth is not concentrated within FWISD boundaries.
Budgetary constraints present another challenge, with FWISD facing a $43.6 million deficit for the upcoming school year.
Furthermore, the district is grappling with the cessation of federal funding. ESSER funds, part of federal COVID relief grants, previously supported some of the positions that have now been eliminated.
