The Tucson Unified School District has approved a $797.4 million budget proposal for the next fiscal year. For several months, the district has been trying to agree on where to make cuts as it faces a 2% decrease in enrollment.
The district is projected to have a $25 million budget deficit by 2030 and has been identified as a “high financial risk” district by the Arizona auditor general.
Earlier this year, the board approved about $7 million in budget reductions. At a governing board meeting Tuesday, Chief Financial Officer Ricky Hernández said a $45 million voter-approved override is helping them for now, but:
“There will need to be some additional cuts that will need to happen because unless the enrollment levels out, right? That is still the number one factor for why we’re losing [money].”
The district is also considering closing or consolidating some schools to save more money in the future. Several districts across the state have closed schools due to similar enrollment challenges.
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