Robbinsdale Area Schools To Lay Off 200 Staff In Face Of $21M Budget Deficit

Robbinsdale Area Schools To Lay Off 200 Staff In Face Of $21M Budget Deficit

Robbinsdale Area Schools is bracing for layoffs ahead of the 2025-26 school year after a budgeting error resulted in a $21 million shortfall.

In all, roughly 200 employees across the district will be affected, including 182 certified school staff and 18 full-time-equivalent jobs at the district’s Education Service Center, Superintendent Teri Staloch said in a letter on Friday. Three assistant principal positions are also in line to be cut.

The district says its budget crisis came about by erroneously double-entering $20 million in compensatory funding into the district’s revenue projections. In November, when the mistake was found, Staloch acknowledged that payroll comprised 80% of the district’s expenses, so any cuts would have to impact staffing levels.

“These reductions are incredibly difficult—and they are not made lightly,” Staloch said. “We know each position represents a person, a team, and a meaningful connection to our schools, students, staff and families.”

Education Service Center layoffs are expected to save $2 million, and staffing reductions in schools will amount to $13-15 million, Staloch said.

Staloch said not all of these cuts were due to fiscal pressures and “many reflect routine, annual staffing changes due to enrollment changes, licensure, program shifts, or non-renewals unrelated to budget.”

In addition to the staffing cuts, Staloch said the district will “likely” operate fewer schools in the near future.

SOURCE: abc KSTP.COM