Fort Worth ISD has released more details on the district layoffs announced earlier this week.
Superintendent Angelica Ramsey said she waited to reveal the details until the impacted workers could be notified directly first.
On Friday, a district spokesperson said a total of 133 positions will be reduced or eliminated. Four positions were funded from local district funds while 129 positions were funded through 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,” said 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.”
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Padilla said the district’s Talent Management department will be organizing an internal job fair on March 5 to assist employees in identifying potential employment opportunities.
School board members spent three hours in executive session during a special meeting on Tuesday night, discussing which positions and how many will be affected.
After the meeting, Ramsey told reporters that teachers would not be affected by the layoffs. She added that they are targeting jobs because more than 80% of the district's budget goes to salaries.
There are several reasons for the layoffs, one of which stems from declining enrollment, according to FWISD.
"Fort Worth ISD has been declining in enrollment for about 10 years. Actually, we had projections for this year and we exceeded them. But we are still declining in enrollment. All of the growth that's happening in the city is not happening within the boundaries of Fort Worth ISD," Ramsey said.
Budget shortfalls are another challenge. Officials said FWISD will enter next school year with a $43.6 million deficit.
Another issue FWISD is facing is federal funding coming to an end. ESSER funds, or Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds, were part of federal COVID relief grants and were a source of funding for some of the jobs that have been eliminated.
