The district has reportedly lost about 3,000 students over the past two years, including 1,800 during the current school year alone.<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2014 The Phoenix Union High School District is planning\u00a0<\/a>to cut positions, citing a major drop in enrollment and ongoing funding challenges.<\/p>\n Union members within the Arizona Education Association say the cuts, which will affect roughly six percent of the district\u2019s workforce, have caused uncertainty among educators.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n Flemons said the economic climate is adding to the stress.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n The district has reportedly lost about 3,000 students over the past two years, including 1,800 during the current school year alone.<\/p>\n “We\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI know this information is difficult to receive, and I honor the wide range of emotions that our community is feeling,\u201d Andrade said in a letter to district staff.<\/p>\n To address the gap, the district said it needs to cut about $20 million from next school year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n “It’s gonna be a nerve-wracking next couple months for us, for sure,” Flemons said.<\/p>\n Andrade said the first round of cuts will focus on protecting classrooms.<\/p>\n “Our main district office will probably be what’s most affected at that point in time,” Flemons said.<\/p>\n The union says classified staff \u2014 including janitors, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers \u2014 could face cuts next. Anastasia Jimenez, president of the Phoenix Union Classified Employees Association, represents those employees.<\/p>\n “I just want folks to be mindful and show some gratitude towards those hourly employees \u2014 the backbone of our district,” Jimenez said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “When we talk about merging positions or combining workloads, you\u2019re on a fast pace to burnout \u2014 and you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n Both Flemons and Jimenez have been participating in the district Governing Board\u2019s Budget Advisory Committee<\/a>, representing their unions and serving as a recommending body on financial decisions.<\/p>\n