Jefferson County Public Schools will eliminate 139 full-time positions next school year as the state’s second largest district grapples with enrollment declines and budget challenges.
It released a Budget Reduction Blueprint Thursday that fills a $60 million budget gap.
Of the 139 full-time positions, 90 will be absorbed through retirements or vacancies, but 50 current employees learned this week that their jobs will be cut. The district says it will offer six months of support to help them find new roles within the district.
"These decisions are painful," the district said in a message to families. "They affect people we care about, colleagues we respect, and work that is meaningful."
District leaders say because JeffCo already operates a “lean” central structure, there will be cuts to services students and teachers rely on.
Those include: fewer meal options for breakfast and lunch, slower computer repairs and longer response times, less frequent cleaning and longer wait times for building repairs. The district said there will be slower responses to unfilled substitute teacher requests. Special education students will see less specialized coaching and centralized coordination.
There will be fewer training supports for educators and less coaching for staff providing social-emotional learning and health support. Other departments will see increased turnaround times for requests and hiring in departments like human resources, finance and communications.
Why cuts are needed
Over the last four years, Jeffco has seen a loss of more than 4,200 students — a 5 percent decrease attributed to shifting demographics and lower birth rates.
Jefferson County voters are also not taxing themselves to support schools at nearly the rate of surrounding districts. It operates with $2,000-$3,000 less per student.
District officials said reductions are necessary for long-term financial sustainability. This school year, the district has had to dip into reserves.
“Simply put, we are spending more money than we are bringing in,” Superintendent Tracy Dorland said in a statement. “If we continue to use our reserves at this pace, they will be depleted quickly, leaving us unable to meet our financial obligations in the future.”
What’s next?
The next round of adjustments begins in January as schools begin their own budgeting process and share local impacts with the community.
