Sacramento City Unified outlines plan to cut 155 central-office positions as it targets $74.9M deficit

District staff presented a fiscal-solvency update at a school board meeting this evening that included an organizational-restructuring proposal to reduce central-office staffing as part of a plan to close a projected $74.9 million budget gap for 2026–27.

Presenter said the analysis identifies roughly 194 central-office positions for reduction, with consolidation and reallocation of about 39 roles and a net reduction of 155 positions. Staff estimated gross positional savings of about $34 million and net savings after transition costs of about $26.6 million. The presentation also noted cumulative mitigation steps now total about $96.6 million, exceeding the initial November target of $67.7 million.

The presenter said the district will include a July constitutional property-tax cash event of $111 million in a cash-flow footnote but emphasized that the timing of that cash does not eliminate the structural budget gap and that the district still needs either revenue growth or sustained expenditure reductions to balance the budget.

Public commenters and classified employees urged the board to avoid cutting supports for the district’s youngest students. Rebecca Stevens, speaking on behalf of TK aides, said cuts that reduce hours and remove health benefits would harm staff and the students they serve: "I am very saddened and disappointed by this decision, so please reconsider this restructure," she said.

Krista Mahoney, representing SEIU members in early learning and care, warned that cuts to classified ELC and Head Start positions would undermine required compliance, grant-writing and enrollment functions that support the most vulnerable families. David Wong, a staff speaker from Luther Burbank High School, described individual cases where staff are owed compensation and said planned hour reductions would remove health coverage for some workers.

During board discussion, Member Ibarra pressed staff for transparency about who would be affected and how reductions would be implemented. Member Benjamin said cutting TK aides while aiming to grow early-learning attendance “makes absolutely no sense.” Board members sought precise counts and implementation details before final decisions.

Staff responded with preliminary details: HR staff reported there is one TK aide assigned to each TK classroom and that 56 TK aides were identified as impacted; they said aides currently work six hours per day and that, in the district, four hours is the general threshold for eligibility for benefits for classified employees. HR staff also said aide wages vary across a career lattice and committed to provide a detailed pay-range breakdown and vacancy counts to the board.

The district said third interim projections and a multiyear budget update will show how the proposed reductions feed into longer-term projections; staff cautioned there will be operational impacts, including slower response times and a real need to plan for routes, department budgets and summer programs.

The board moved a procedural item to extend the meeting to 11:30 p.m.; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board did not take final action on the restructuring tonight; staff said follow-up materials and the third interim presentation would be provided to trustees before further decisions.

What’s next: staff will deliver the third interim and a multiyear projection that incorporates the proposed reductions, and the board expects further documentation from HR on numbers, hours, wages and vacancy details before any final approvals.