Grand Rapids board directs just under $10 million in FY26 reductions, eliminating about 80 positions

The Grand Rapids Public School District school board voted to direct the district to implement fiscal 2026 budget reductions that district leaders said total just under $10 million and eliminate about 80 positions.

The vote followed public comments from multiple teachers who warned the cuts would increase class sizes and worsen teacher burnout. "Education is not just about efficiency," said Jessica Flossie, a social studies teacher at Grand Rapids High School. "It should be doing about what's best for our kids." Flossie said the proposed high school reduction of 0.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) in social studies would also move the district's economics instruction out of social studies and could leave government standards to teachers not licensed in the subject.

The board and administrators framed the reductions as part of a multiyear effort to stabilize district finances. "Our goal as we work through this is financial stability and health," Superintendent Matt Gross told the board, citing audited gains in the district's fund balance and outside ratings that officials said show the district has been managing limited resources carefully.

Gross and other administrator…