Phoenix Union board approves preliminary reduction-in-force list amid protests from staff and parents
Summary
After hours of public comment urging the district to spare arts, wellness and student-support roles, the Phoenix Union High School District governing board voted to approve a preliminary reduction-in-force (RIF) list of about 167 positions to meet an estimated $20 million budget gap driven by declining enrollment and exhausted one-time federal funds.
The Phoenix Union High School District governing board approved a preliminary reduction-in-force list of roughly 167 positions on Dec. 4, voting 5–1 to advance the cuts as staff, teachers and parents urged the board to reconsider roles they said are essential to student safety, mental health and arts programming.
The motion to approve item 9L, presented by President Napa and seconded by Clerk Oliver, followed a presentation from district leaders who said enrollment has declined by about 3,000 students and one-time ESSER funds are exhausted, forcing a projected $20 million reduction for next fiscal year. Dr. DiAlba told the board the first phase of reductions presented that night accounted for about $15 million of the total.
Community members and employee representatives filled the public-comment period with appeals to protect specific positions. Estela Flemings, president of the CTA, described staff fear and frustration over the process and blamed long-term underfunding at the state level: “the legislature is not giving public schools the money that they need,” she said. Teachers, librarians and arts instructors urged the board to spare the VAPA content specialist, media techs and wellness clinicians, arguing those roles directly support tens of thousands of students.
“Without this position, departments will have no expert at the district level,” Perla Rodriguez said of the visual and performing arts content leader. Multiple social workers and clinicians described the district wellness team as a lifesaving resource; clinician Kaylene Piscata read a staff message that began, “You’ve kept me alive,” and warned that cutting clinicians would have “drastic negative impacts.”
District staff outlined mitigation steps the administration will pursue: internal hiring fairs, reassigning or combining certain duties (for example, creating a combined testing-coordinator/media-tech role at some campuses), and a shift to a ratio-based model for assistant principals. Superintendent Andrade said some positions on the preliminary list are vacant (41 were listed as currently unfilled) and that some roles would be rehired in reconfigured forms. “We are trying to keep the reductions as far away from the classroom as possible,” she said.
Board members voiced split judgments. Board Member Cota voted no, citing concerns about safety and transparency. Board Member Pastor Rivera and others described the decision as a painful but necessary step to avoid deeper cuts or campus closures down the line. The roll-call vote, as announced by the president, was: Cross—yes; Meyer—yes; Clerk Oliver—yes; Pastor Rivera—yes; President Napa—yes; Cota—no; Representative Marquez—absent. The board also agreed to continue recruitment and internal-placement efforts after the vote.
The preliminary reductions would take effect July 1, 2026, and the district said it expects additional adjustments in January and February as retirements, vacancies and internal transfers change staffing needs. The board directed staff to continue outreach to employees and associations and to run an internal job fair and training events to place affected staff where possible.
The decision concluded a night of extensive public testimony and board discussion about oversight, communication and alternatives to layoffs. The governing board will reconvene for its next regular meeting Jan. 8, 2026, and the district said it would continue to update staff and the public on placement opportunities and the timeline for phase-two decisions.
