Fresno Unified Prepares for Historic Budget Cuts, Including School Closures
Amid declining enrollment and attendance, district leaders outline plans for phased school and program cuts, boundary changes, and community engagement efforts.
Fresno Unified is preparing for significant budget cuts driven by declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism, with Superintendent Misty Her sharing possible school closures, program consolidations, including dual enrollment, and structural shifts to a TK, 5 and grades 6, 8 model.
At a September 16 board workshop, Her noted the district is adopting an intentional, phased approach with strong community involvement, citing past missteps like cuts to centrally funded field trips. Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas urged transparency, warning that painful decisions, including school closures, program eliminations, and staff reductions, are ahead.
Chief Financial Officer Patrick Jensen said the district has lost over $123 million since 2018 due to enrollment and attendance drops. While daily attendance rose to 92.1% in 2025, 26 and chronic absenteeism fell to 24.1%, both remain below pre-pandemic levels. Chief Academic Officer Carlos Castillo outlined goals to reach 94% attendance and 17% absenteeism by 2028, 29.
A new budget committee, with applications opening this fall, will help guide community input as plans solidify.
Prepared with AI assistance from the linked source.
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