Fort Worth ISD is saving more than $9.4 million through its recently announced layoffs, according to documents obtained through an open records request.
The records detail how much money the district is saving after district officials did not provide an estimate. The documents also showed fewer employees laid off than originally announced.
In February, Fort Worth ISD announced the elimination of positions in the Division of Technology as well as some campus-level jobs such as freshman success coaches and instructional specialists at Texas Wesleyan University-run schools.
Most of the affected positions were funded through the district’s $261.6 million in federal pandemic relief dollars. The funds were the third round of relief dollars that the federal government issued over a three-year period during the pandemic. The funds expire Sept. 30.
The school board on Feb. 13 approved a resolution outlining the elimination of positions, but the document did not list a specific number of cuts.
District spokespeople told the Report on Feb. 16 that 133 positions were affected.
“The resolution outlined a total of 133 positions to be reduced or eliminated, with four being funded from local funds and 129 from federal dollars,” Fort Worth ISD spokesperson Cesar Padilla said when asked March 7 to clarify the total number of positions affected. “Also please note, as the process progressed, some positions may have been reconsidered or modified.”
Records showed 112 employees were laid off, with salaries ranging from $70,912 to $152,816.
The average salary of laid-off employees was $84,571, according to a Fort Worth Report analysis.
The savings does not include employees whose positions were eliminated and then rehired in a different role.
The district held an internal hiring fair March 5 for affected employees. Fort Worth ISD did not have figures on how many employees were rehired, but Padilla emphasized that the district is committed to helping them explore internal job opportunities.
“The exact number of affected individuals who have reapplied to other positions within the district would be subject to ongoing updates as the rehiring process unfolds,” Padilla said.
Another job fair for internal employees is scheduled for early April, he added.
The cuts are part of a larger effort to balance the district’s budget. Officials are anticipating a $44 million deficit for the 2024-25 school year budget. A deficit is created when spending exceeds the amount of revenue. Fort Worth ISD has had a deficit budget for more than a decade.
“We’re finding efficiencies throughout the school district. We’re looking at budgets. We’re looking at contracts. We’re looking at every place we can, so that employees are the last to be impacted,” Superintendent Angélica Ramsey said during a February news conference.
Padilla described the district’s budget decisions as complex and multifaceted. Fort Worth ISD leaders are considering additional cuts as they weigh the district’s needs and priorities, he said.
“While specific details may not be available at this time, the district remains committed to maintaining fiscal responsibility while preserving essential services and programs for students,” Padilla said.
Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
