Fifty Jeffco Public Schools employees received notice this week that their positions will be eliminated at the end of this school year.
The cash-strapped district also eliminated another 90 positions that are open or coming open later this year due to retirements, according to an announcement posted on the Jeffco Public Schools website.
In total, Jeffco is cutting about 139 full-time equivalent positions within departments in the district’s central office.
The 50 people who are being laid off were notified throughout this week, the notice said.
“These decisions are painful,” the announcement said. “They affect people we care about, colleagues we respect and work that is meaningful. This is a difficult moment for them and for the teammates who work with and care about them. As we move through this moment, we acknowledge the human impact of these decisions.”
The budget plan also calls for service cuts across several departments within the district, including:
- Fewer menu offerings for breakfasts and lunches
- Custodians will be required to clean larger areas, and some cleaning that is not critical to human health will take place less often
- Some repairs may be delayed
- Longer response times for computer problems, slower repairs and replacements, and less training for technology
- Less professional learning support for educators
- Less centralized support and coaching for the staff providing social-emotional learning, restorative practices and health support
The reductions are the first phase of the larger budget process for the next school year, the announcement stated. Budgeting at the school level will begin in January after the first round of enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year.
Superintendent Tracy Dorland earlier this year had warned the school board that up to 150 positions could be eliminated because of a looming financial crisis.
For at least two of the past three fiscal years, Jeffco Public Schools has operated in a deficit, and it is facing another loss of $39 million for the 2025-26 year.
The financial woes have been years in the making as student enrollment has declined and, along with it, the amount of per-pupil state funding the district receives.
Over the past four years, the district’s enrollment has declined by 5%, or 4,259 fewer students. That decline is driven by lower birth rates and long-term demographic shifts. The trend is expected to continue at a similar pace in the future, and the district needs to align itself with that reality, the layoff announcement stated.
Meanwhile, Jeffco Public Schools’ expenses have risen. The district gave pay raises to teachers so it could remain competitive with other public school districts in the state.
The district plans to ask voters in November to approve a $15 million mill levy that would increase revenue by raising property taxes. The superintendent has warned that more budget cuts could come if that ballot initiative fails.
Declining enrollment is a statewide issue that has forced multiple school districts to cut positions. The state’s school districts are also suffering from reduced funding from the state and federal governments.
“These initial steps toward a financially sustainable future are not easy, but they are necessary,” the online announcement said. “Each and every employee in Jeffco is valued. As we move through this together, we hold onto hope: hope in the resilience of our people, hope in our shared dedication to students, and hope in the future we are building — a future where Jeffco remains strong, stable and positioned to help every student achieve their biggest dreams.”
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