Mesa Public Schools is cutting jobs for 2025-26 school year. What we know so far

Posted by author February 7, 2025 Jobs

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Arizona’s largest public school district has announced it will cut staff positions next school year as its student population continues to shrink.

Mesa Public Schools’ enrollment has declined by about 12% over the past decade, a trend district officials expect to continue. In mid-January, the district announced it would eliminate positions next school year to reduce its budget by about $18 million.

Last year, the district estimated it would lose just under 1,000 students before the 2024-25 school year, but that number turned out to be about 1,500, according to a presentation at the district’s Jan. 14 Governing Board meeting. The district was expecting to lose an additional 1,800 students next school year. None of the district’s schools are at capacity.

Here’s what we know so far about planned job cuts in Mesa Public Schools.

Why is Mesa Public Schools cutting jobs?

Mesa Public Schools has attributed the loss of students to declining birth rates. Arizona’s birth rate declined by 33% between 2007 and 2021, according to data from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

About a quarter of school-aged children who live within Mesa Public Schools’ boundaries attend charter schools or schools in other districts. More than 4,000 school-aged children within Mesa Public Schools’ boundaries receive voucher funds for private schools or homeschooling expenses, a group the district is trying to engage through its program for homeschooled students.

“Compounding these challenges are decreasing state and federal funding, including the expiration of Prop 123 in July 2025, and rising operational costs,” Mesa Public Schools said in a statement.

Nearly 90% of the district’s budget goes toward staffing.

What jobs are being cut in Mesa Public Schools?

Mesa Public Schools is cutting 147 district-level positions next school year, including three administrators. The district is also cutting certified staff, though the number is not yet known. Staff who are losing their jobs were told by Friday, Feb. 7, and the list of affected positions was scheduled to go before the board Feb. 11. The number and type of jobs eliminated will be known after that meeting.

The reduction in force recommendation from the district’s administration went before the Governing Board on Jan. 28 and was approved.

Impacted staff will receive “resources such as resume support and mock interviews, and opportunities to apply for other roles within the district,” according to the district.

What else is Mesa Public Schools doing to address its budget shortfall?

Mesa Public Schools considered changing the format of its elementary music classes as part of its cost-cutting efforts, but after opposition from parents, students and staff, the board decided to keep the status quo for another year.

In an interview, Amber Weaver, an orchestra teacher at Las Sendas Elementary in northeast Mesa, said the music program there is special.

“We’re very, very steeped in music at our school. Almost every kid plays an instrument here,” Weaver said.

Are other school districts making job cuts?

In March 2024, Mesa Public Schools announced it would cut the equivalent of 385 full-time positions — a nearly 5% reduction — for the 2024-25 school year. The district currently has the equivalent of about 7,859 full-time positions, down from about 8,808 during the 2021-22 school year.

Several other Valley school districts have made similar decisions over the past year as they’ve seen their student enrollment numbers decrease, including staff cuts in the Tempe Union High School District and school closures in the Roosevelt Elementary and Paradise Valley Unified school districts.