What's at stake?
As discussions around the 2026-27 school year budget continue, a breakdown of how the departments various departments show how the district is planning on addressing its projected $55 deficit.
As Fresno Unified makes cuts to address a projected $55 million deficit next year, Wednesday’s board meeting revealed which jobs are on the line — but the school board didn’t have much to say about it..
As part of ongoing discussions for the 2026-27 school year’s budget, district staff gave a presentation to the board about the district’s goals and the initiatives they’ve invested in to meet their multi-year objectives.
Despite not being discussed during the meeting, a second presentation showed plans to change the district’s staffing parameters, which outline the minimum number of staff positions required to operate a school in Fresno Unified. These minimums will be reduced to require fewer full-time teaching, administrative, custodial and clerical positions at each site.
“We’ve spent a lot of time during this budget cycle talking about reductions, and rightfully so, because obviously we’re all aware that reduced enrollment and low ADA (average daily attendance) has put us in a position where we have a structural deficit that we have to address,” said Patrick Jensen, the district’s chief financial officer, during Wednesday’s meeting.
On top of this, a breakdown of planned costs and adjustments to positions in all 43 departments for the coming school year is included in the presentation.
AJ Kato, the district communications manager, confirmed a total of 466 positions are planned to be reduced, around 82 will be added, and six will be downgraded in pay or converted to other positions.
Jensen confirmed to Fresnoland that the reductions to positions also include PARS retirements and vacancies that will remain unfilled.
Staffing parameters differ between elementary, middle and high schools.
Notably, the new parameters outright eliminate the library technician position for middle schools and resource counseling assistant position for high schools.
This means that schools will not be required to fill these roles to operate.
The presentation also shows about $46.3 million in ongoing reductions for the coming 2026-27 school year, with an additional $13.9 million in reductions from PARS retirements.
The largest reduction hits school site staffing parameters, with $17 million in cuts on the table.
Fresno Teachers Association President Manuel Bonilla said that the reductions would hurt students, noting that more than 20 schools could be left without a full-time nurse.
“These are not abstract cuts; these are real people with real services and real consequences for our students,” Bonilla said during the meeting.
Bonilla also repeated his claim that the district has about $175 million in discretionary funds that could be used to avoid cuts. Previously, Bonilla has said that money set aside from the ending fund balance is committed vaguely and without guarantee of being spent.
During the budget presentation, Jensen once again disputed the union and said that the district is actively spending money from these committed funds.
Moreover, Jensen said that the district’s reserve for economic uncertainties, which is projected to sit at 5.56% by the end of the current school year, is also being spent to address the budget deficit. Currently, the district projects that by the end of the 2027/28, the district’s reserve will be spent down to 2.77%
If the district were to ever cross below 2%, it could enter into a receivership and come under control of the state.
Several school nurses, teachers and classified workers spoke against the cuts and urged the district to reconsider.
“Our folks want transparency and answers about what is going to happen in this next year on our campuses if you go through with these layoffs, because it just feels you’re going to expect more and more with less and less support,” said Marisa Rodriguez, an ethnic studies teacher from Roosevelt High School.
The district’s budget discussions will continue as it awaits the governor’s revision to the state budget in May. FUSD’s 2026-27 school year budget will be passed in June.
