As it seeks cost-saving measures, the Broward County school district has proposed cutting more than 800 positions going into next school year. While most of the positions are currently vacant, 300 of them belong to staff from this school year.
The affected roles include 11 elementary school counselors, 17 exceptional student education counselors and 16 social workers.
Superintendent Howard Hepburn and some school board members have often spoken about the need downsize district staff to make it proportional to shrinking student enrollment.
"The cuts are necessary because we've lost tens of thousands of students," school board chair Sarah Leonardi told WLRN on Thursday. "Cuts are going to be painful and my heart hurts for the people impacted and I know the district will work with them to help them find a soft landing."
Broward County Public schools, the sixth largest school district in the country, has 187,800 students. The district predicts that by the 2030-31 school year, it'll have 25,700 fewer students than that. The decline in enrollment, which has been playing out for two decades, comes at a staggering financial loss to the district, as state funds depend on student head-count. BCPS faces a shortfall of nearly $100 million.
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Staff cuts are expected to result in approximately $45 million in cost savings.
As part of the effort to "rightsize" the district, the school board directed Hepburn to cut 1,000 jobs per year for the next three years. A hiring freeze was also put in place earlier this year.
The total positions on the cutting table amount to 856. Of those, 353 are currently filled, with 53 being non-teaching roles related to school repurposing and closures.
District officials met in person and individually with the potentially affected staff Wednesday, according to Leonardi.
"In order to deliver the services we need to deliver for students we need to be financial responsible and make tough decisions," she said.
Cuts will continue through August "as the District works to fully align staffing with enrollment and operational needs." Around 200 more positions will be identified, but most of the reduction is expected to come through natural attrition — staff who leave of their own will and are not replaced. That'll put the districtwide cuts at higher than 1,000, according to a district document.
Enrollment is expected to plummet by about 8,000 students next school year, resulting in an approximate 300 fewer teacher positions. However, the majority of those will likely be due to natural attrition, not layoffs, district Chief of Communications John Sullivan told WLRN Thursday.
The staffing for unarmed security — non-police officers who patrol administration sites and school campuses — is also under review to determine appropriate staffing levels.
The school board is expected to discuss the organizational chart draft on Tuesday April 21 at a workshop. The cuts will need School Board approval.
