Mesa Public Schools employees will know by early February if they still have a job in August as the state’s largest district grapples with a multi-million budget shortfall due largely to fewer students behind desks.
District administrators are projecting a loss of approximately 1,800 students in the 2025-26 school year, which equates to $16.7 million in funding. That, along with increased operating costs and fewer federal and state dollars, is forcing the district’s workforce reduction.
“Close to 90% of our budget is dedicated to staff through payroll expense,” Superintendent Dr. Andi Fourlis said at the Jan. 14 Governing Board study session. “So, we’ve had the task of working with our superintendency team and our school and district-level administrators on identifying $18 million in payroll-expense reduction.”…