MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Saint Paul School Board Delays English-Learner Teacher Cuts and Requests Alternatives
The district faces a projected funding loss after enrollment fell below expectations, while educators warn of disruption from midyear staffing changes.
SAINT PAUL, MN (October 22, 2026). The Saint Paul school board has postponed a decision on proposed midyear reductions affecting more than 18 full-time equivalent English-language teaching positions, directing administrators to investigate an alternative that would reduce or avoid the cuts.
Board members voted unanimously Tuesday, October 20, to delay consideration until the week of October 26, MPR News reported.
District administrators proposed the reductions after enrollment figures showed more than 540 fewer English learners than anticipated, creating a projected state funding loss of nearly $5 million.
The delay follows objections from educators and community members. A pre-vote report from the Saint Paul Federation of Educators questioned whether the union had received sufficient information about the proposal and how contractual requirements would be followed.
The union’s concerns included notice, consultation and the practical consequences of changing staffing assignments during the school year. Those objections form part of the dispute administrators and board members must resolve as they reconsider the plan.
District leaders have connected the enrollment shortfall to immigration enforcement, changes in immigration and fewer new families settling in Saint Paul. They have also warned that reduced revenue could affect the district’s required fund balance.
The proposed staffing changes could have reached a majority of district schools. The board’s postponement leaves the reductions unresolved while requiring administrators to examine another approach.
For families, the next decision concerns both the number of positions retained and whether students will experience changes in established teaching relationships during the school year.
The district provides meeting information and access to board materials through its Board of Education website.
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