Fresno, CA: Declining enrollment, $77M deficit, more staff needed for SPED
- 6 hours ago
- 1 min read
Fresno Unified’s projected budget deficit for the upcoming school year has grown to $88 million, the district said, a 49 percent increase from just February.
In February, the district said its current deficit sat at $77 million and was projected to be $59 million for the 2026-27 school year.
Fresno Unified cited low attendance and declining annual enrollment — which recently shrank by nearly 1,000 students — as driving factors for the deficit, which occurs when expenses outpace funding.
The district said the increase is due to needing more special education staff than anticipated and increased transportation costs.
The district hasn’t specified how it’s going to address the gap. Service cuts and/or announcing more potential layoffs are potential options to help reduce projected costs, but the need to hire more special education staff has ultimately contributed to the growing projected deficit.
According to data from the California Department of Education, Fresno Unified’s special education enrollment is currently 10,709 — nearly 1,500 more students compared to 2022-23. . . .
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