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TUSD holds desegregation budget study session; magnet, family engagement and multicultural departments propose minimal classroom cuts
Summary
In a third desegregation-funded budget study session, TUSD department leaders presented proposals to reduce non-staff spending while preserving classroom allocations; magnet, family and multicultural leaders warned staff cuts would harm services and described targeted reductions.
Tucson Unified School District department leaders presented their third study-session update on desegregation-funded budgets on March 31, proposing mainly non-staff reductions while asking the governing board to preserve frontline classroom funding.
Superintendent Doctor Trujillo said district desegregation levy revenues remain capped at roughly $63 million by the historical levy structure established in 2008; rising personnel and benefit costs have produced an estimated $3—3.5 million shortfall in the desegregation budget this year. Desegregation-funded departments must submit balanced budgets for board consideration in mid-June.
Cameron Tarabati, senior director over magnet programs, described magnet schools as a vehicle for integration and equity and presented performance data showing magnet schools' aggregate proficiency exceeding district averages in several grade bands. Tarabati said the magnet allocation from desegregation funds is about $7.4 million (11.5% of the desegregation total), and that approximately 93% of that amount is salary and benefits. He proposed modest reductions totaling $108,290 in conference registrations, out-of-state travel and consultants while preserving school-directed allocations that support 12 magnet campuses and site-based instructional coaching.
Family and community engagement director Lacey Grijalva outlined a roughly $580,000 FACE budget and said staff cuts are not desirable because the department offers family resource centers, a Duffy clothing bank and mental-health partnership programs. She said the department's recommended reductions focus on overtime and added-duty stipends that previously helped schools without Title I funds maintain a school community liaison; Grijalva said about 40 schools relied on district support for that added-duty role this year and asked the board to consider options to maintain that support.
Multicultural curriculum director Rosalina Rodriguez said her small team (three staff members) supports teachers across the district with multicultural professional development, read-alouds and "book-basket" resources. She explained that her department's operating budget is roughly $309,000 (not to be confused with larger desegregation activity lines that appear elsewhere in the budget), and that staff reduced non-staff allocations (added duty, travel, materials) by 18% of non-staff funding to preserve personnel. Rodriguez noted the department had not updated certain collections of multicultural books since 2014 and thanked the board for approving a contemporary-book purchase that will allow distribution to teachers.
Board members asked for more granular data by grade and subgroup for magnet performance and pressed staff to explore alternative staffing models such as itinerant assistant principals and shared positions. Budget staff outlined a range of budget issues the board had requested, including student fees, tax credits, summer-school priorities, fine arts/physical education funding and site-based administrative allocations. The board and budget advisory committee discussed prioritizing transitional summer programs (e.g., third, fifth and eighth grade transitions and credit-recovery for high school students) given limited one-time funding.
No desegregation budget reductions were adopted at the meeting; the board will continue study sessions and expects department budget proposals and final recommendations in June.
