The district has reportedly lost about 3,000 students over the past two years, including 1,800 during the current school year alone.

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Union High School District is planning to cut positions, citing a major drop in enrollment and ongoing funding challenges.

Union members within the Arizona Education Association say the cuts, which will affect roughly six percent of the district’s workforce, have caused uncertainty among educators.

“It’s really scary on a state level, but at a local level, talking to individuals… certified staff, because there’s such a wide range of us, it is scary. It’s scary like, you know what? What is my job like? Is my job a potential loss here?” said Estaban Flemons, president of the Phoenix Union Classroom Teachers’ Association.

Flemons said the economic climate is adding to the stress.

“It’s a very nerve-wracking time right now. Economy is rough, so people are worried about, hey, how does this look for my next check?” Flemons said.

The district has reportedly lost about 3,000 students over the past two years, including 1,800 during the current school year alone.

“We’ve known that we were going to be losing enrollment starting in about 2020… but this last year we saw it a little bit larger than we thought,” Flemons said.

Superintendent Thea Andrade attributes the decline to the expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, low state funding per student, demographic challenges, gentrification, and low birth rates, creating a multi-million-dollar shortfall.

“I know this information is difficult to receive, and I honor the wide range of emotions that our community is feeling,” Andrade said in a letter to district staff.

To address the gap, the district said it needs to cut about $20 million from next school year’s budget, starting the reduction process in December. At the December Governing Board meeting, the district will provide a preliminary RIF position list for approval. Additional cuts of $15 million are projected for 2027-28.

“It’s gonna be a nerve-wracking next couple months for us, for sure,” Flemons said.

Andrade said the first round of cuts will focus on protecting classrooms.

“Our main district office will probably be what’s most affected at that point in time,” Flemons said.

The union says classified staff — including janitors, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers — could face cuts next. Anastasia Jimenez, president of the Phoenix Union Classified Employees Association, represents those employees.

“I just want folks to be mindful and show some gratitude towards those hourly employees — the backbone of our district,” Jimenez said.

The district said it is considering merging positions, rethinking student-to-staff ratios, combining small specialty schools, and offering financial incentives for employees eligible to retire.

“When we talk about merging positions or combining workloads, you’re on a fast pace to burnout — and you’re on a fast pace to losing even more staff members. When we lose staff, we lose quality in education and in the services we can provide,” Jimenez said.

Both Flemons and Jimenez have been participating in the district Governing Board’s Budget Advisory Committee, representing their unions and serving as a recommending body on financial decisions.

The district serves more than 28,000 students across 23 schools and employs close to 4,000 people, meaning about 250 staff members could face reductions.

As staff wait to learn which positions will be cut, union leaders are hoping voters back the district’s bond and override measures this November.

“That’ll at least allow us to maintain. If, for some reason, it were not to pass, then we would look at making additional cuts, which would even stress out an already overworked system right now,” Flemons said.

The district plans to meet with impacted staff in November to help them find other opportunities both inside and outside the district. The reduction process is expected to wrap up by February.

“Regardless of the changes taking place, our students must continue to receive their education in a safe and supportive environment. I am asking you to join me in maintaining a positive outlook for the future. We will weather this storm, and we will move forward, stronger together,” Andrade said.

12News reached out to the district for an interview, but they declined.

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