Fort Worth ISD is saving more than $9.4 million through its recently announced layoffs, according to documents obtained through an open records request.
The records detail how much money the district is saving after district officials did not provide an estimate. The documents also showed fewer employees laid off than originally announced.
In February, Fort Worth ISD announced the elimination of positions in the Division of Technology as well as some campus-level jobs such as freshman success coaches and instructional specialists at Texas Wesleyan University-run schools.
Most of the affected positions were funded through . The funds were the third round of relief dollars that the federal government issued over a three-year period during the pandemic. The funds expire Sept. 30.
The a resolution outlining the elimination of positions, but a specific number of cuts.
District spokespeople told the Report on Feb. 16 that .
鈥淭he resolution outlined a total of 133 positions to be reduced or eliminated, with four being funded from local funds and 129 from federal dollars,鈥� Fort Worth ISD spokesperson Cesar Padilla said when asked March 7 to clarify the total number of positions affected. 鈥淎lso please note, as the process progressed, some positions may have been reconsidered or modified.鈥�
Records showed 112 employees were laid off, with salaries ranging from $70,912 to $152,816.
The average salary of laid-off employees was $84,571, according to a Fort Worth Report analysis.
The savings does not include employees whose positions were eliminated and then rehired in a different role.
The district held an internal hiring fair March 5 for affected employees. Fort Worth ISD did not have figures on how many employees were rehired, but Padilla emphasized that the district is committed to helping them explore internal job opportunities.
鈥淭he exact number of affected individuals who have reapplied to other positions within the district would be subject to ongoing updates as the rehiring process unfolds,鈥� Padilla said.
Another job fair for internal employees is scheduled for early April, he added.
The cuts are part of a larger effort to balance the district鈥檚 budget. Officials are anticipating a . A deficit is created when spending exceeds the amount of revenue. Fort Worth ISD has had a .
鈥淲e鈥檙e finding efficiencies throughout the school district. We鈥檙e looking at budgets. We鈥檙e looking at contracts. We鈥檙e looking at every place we can, so that employees are the last to be impacted,鈥� Superintendent Ang茅lica Ramsey said during a February news conference.
Padilla described the district鈥檚 budget decisions as complex and multifaceted. Fort Worth ISD leaders are considering additional cuts as they weigh the district鈥檚 needs and priorities, he said.
鈥淲hile specific details may not be available at this time, the district remains committed to maintaining fiscal responsibility while preserving essential services and programs for students,鈥� Padilla said.
Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at or . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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