Superintendent Alex Marrero announced Friday that Denver Public Schools is eliminating 38 positions in the district’s central office to save about $5 million annually.
The cuts include eight vacant positions and go into effect July 1, according to a letter sent to employees and families.
DPS employs just under 3,000 employees in its central office.
“We are facing great uncertainty compounded by significant concerns for our future funding from both the state and national levels,” Marrero wrote. “This all comes on top of a period of declining birth rates and lower enrollment across our city and the nation. These challenges require us to make difficult decisions to ensure our district’s long-term stability and success.”
The positions being eliminated touch on various departments, including positions that serve students of color. For example, the culture, equity and leadership team will become part of the Office of Student and Family Empowerment, according to the letter.
DPS spokesman Scott Pribble said the jobs cuts are not the result of any federal funding freeze or the Trump administration’s “Dear Colleague” letter, which was issued on Feb. 14 and gave schools and universities two weeks to eliminate “race-based” practices of any kind or risk losing federal money.
The cuts come as Colorado is facing a $1 billion budget shortfall.
DPS also plans to close or restructure 10 schools at the end of the academic year because of declining enrollment. The move is expected to save the district, which has a $1.4 billion budget, nearly $30 million a year.
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