TUSD losing government funding, cutting jobs

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — On Tuesday, TUSD’s governing board is going to talk about the district’s budgets and consider its funding when government funding given to them during the pandemic ends at the end of September.

TUSD’s budget for next school year has been a topic the board has talked about over the past month at its meetings.

Originally the district was considering reallocating funds from their desegregation program’s equity, diversity, and inclusion program. They quickly did away with those plans and said the program will be staying the same.

Last board meeting the governing board voted to lower the central department budgets by five percent. The district said that’s because they want to keep counselors and social workers they hired during the pandemic.

Governing board member Sadie Shaw said the district cutting their budget is also going to affect regional superintendents and people in the superintendent’s office.

She also said the district isn’t going to be keeping at least fifty teacher assistants, but they are going to be keeping interventionists. Those are people who help students who have fallen behind because of the pandemic.

Apart from those roles, Shaw also said some jobs in the district will not be cut.

“The departments that are exempt from that five percent cut are exceptional education, fine arts, interscholastic, school safety, and transportation,” she described.

The district said the people who are losing their jobs, such as managers for construction projects, have already been told. They said their last day with the district will be on June 30.

Shaw said Tuesday they’re voting on whether the district should put money into custodians and monitors and she said they should.