Mesquite ISD says staff layoffs are in the district’s future as it tries to cut $24 million from its budget.
Most of the cuts– $17.2 million– will come from instruction staffing reductions, according to the district. Staff cuts will initially include non-certified teachers, at-will employees and other workers without term contracts.
The district said it hopes to absorb most staff cuts by reducing the number of non-certified teachers returning next year; new state legislation requires all K-12 core teachers to be certified.
“These are difficult decisions, and we don’t take their impact lightly,” Superintendent Angel Rivera said in a statement, “but every step we’re taking is focused on protecting students, learning, and the future of our district.”
The district said employee attrition already surpasses the number of eliminated positions.
It’s among many North Texas districts facing budget deficits amid falling enrollment, increasing inflation and long-stagnant state funding.
In Texas, where per-student state funding follows the student, reduced enrollment means lost revenue. Enrollment in Mesquite ISD has dropped by more than 3,000 students over the past decade, according to Texas Education Agency data. Current enrollment is 36,650; 10 years ago, it was 40,273. Over roughly the same period staffing numbers grew by about 600 employees, from about 5,200 to nearly 5,800 today.
“Like many school districts across Texas, we are facing financial pressures driven by declining enrollment, rising operational costs, and state funding that has not kept pace with inflation,” Rivera said in the statement. “These steps allow us to move forward in a responsible and sustainable way.”
The district’s other budget cutting measures include reductions in supplies and more than 100 part- and full-time campus support positions, as well as employees in the Central Office and district support. Athletic stipends will also be reduced and certain jobs will be consolidated.
As for jobs lost through consolidation next year, the district said those people can apply for new roles open only to internal candidates.
Mesquite ISD had adopted what’s known as deficit budgets for the past two years implemented nearly $18 million in budget reductions ahead of the current school year, including cutting 13 central administrative positions. But the district said it “cannot continue to use the fund balance to cover rising operational costs and staffing levels that no longer align with enrollment.”
Alexsis Jones is a reporter and producer for KERA News. Got a tip? Email Alexsis at ajones@kera.org.
