Duluth Public Schools signals staff displacement as it moves to close multimillion-dollar budget gap

Duluth Public Schools officials on Tuesday told the school board they are moving forward with a budget realignment that includes $2.6 million in reductions in the current year and roughly $5 million in reductions next year, and that letters notifying employees of displacement will go out on Friday.

Superintendent John Magus said the district has tried to limit impacts on classrooms but that with roughly 85% of the budget tied to staff salaries, some personnel effects are unavoidable. “Displacement means that you are contractually, so to speak, separated from the position that you currently hold, but you're still an employee in the district,” Magus said, explaining the difference between displacement and a layoff or termination.

Why it matters: The district’s staffing decisions affect classroom coverage, special…