"The District anticipates a $9.5 million operating deficit in Fiscal Year 2026, with annual deficits increasing to $28.4 million by Fiscal Year 2030," Phillips said. "Without corrective action, the forecast shows the District's cash balance becoming negative during the 2027-2028 school year."
District officials emphasized that the forecast highlights a long-term structural imbalance that must be addressed to ensure financial stability and maintain educational services for students.
The proposed Tier 1 Reductions are listed below. They come after intense review and discussion by the FCSD Leadership Team, followed by four separate staff and community sessions for participants to learn and provide informed input in a group setting. From the outset, the District has been committed to being fully transparent with staff and community members as it has worked through this process, ensuring that those most impacted have had the opportunity to understand the financial realities facing the District and to have their voices heard. During those engagements, staff were asked to rate the impact of the potential reductions on students, families, and operations. Community members were asked to rate by priority to maintain programs and services.
Tier 1 Reductions
- Eliminate one and one-half (1.5) District administrative positions, for an estimated cost savings of $170,000
- Eliminate three (3) administration building support staff positions, for an estimated cost savings of $183,000
- Restructure the Curriculum and Instruction Department to eliminate five (5) FTE Instructional Specialist positions, for an estimated cost savings of $577,000
- Reduce fifteen (15) FTE teaching positions through attrition, for an estimated cost savings of $1,665,000
- Reduce one (1) psychologist position through attrition, for an estimated cost savings of $100,000
- Eliminate forty-eight (48) grades K-5 unit leader supplemental positions, for an estimated cost savings of $73,000
- Eliminate thirty-three (33) grades 6-8 department head supplemental positions, for an estimated cost savings of $78,000
- Eliminate seventeen (17) grades 9-12 department head supplemental positions, for an estimated cost savings of $54,000
- Reduce building budgets Districtwide by ten (10) percent, for an estimated cost savings of $90,000
- Reduce ten (10) English learner tutor positions, for an estimated cost savings of $405,000
- Reduce the number of extended service days worked, for an estimated cost savings of $80,000
- Eliminate administrative tuition reimbursement, for an estimated cost savings of $20,000
- Modify the Chromebook technology replacement cycle for grades K-5, for an estimated cost savings of $217,000
- Eliminate district funding of college readiness assessments for students, including AP and PSAT, for an estimated cost savings of $90,000
- Eliminate the practice of waiving extracurricular participation fees for economically disadvantaged students, for an estimated cost savings of $55,000
- Modify fee structure for extracurricular participation to include a $100 increase, for an estimated cost savings of $150,000
- Reduce elementary building hours to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and eliminate weekend use, resulting in the reduction of eight (8) custodial positions, for an estimated cost savings of $500,000
- Eliminate all school field trips, for an estimated cost savings of $60,000
"Staff impact data and community priority data provided a meaningful guide in shaping our reduction recommendations," said Assistant Superintendent Kim Hauer, who organized the components of each engagement session. "The recommended list of reductions reflects what we heard from our staff and community throughout this process, and we are grateful for their honest and thoughtful input. Our staff was quick to point out that each and every reduction item matters, that there isn't one on the list that doesn't serve a real purpose and has a real impact on students and families. Asking them to rate these items wasn't a comfortable exercise, because in their eyes, and in ours too, all of it is important in its own right."
District leaders and Board members were very clear that none of these decisions are easy or taken lightly. Every reduction on this list carries real consequences, diminishing in some way the level of support and services provided to students, their families, staff, and the broader Fairfield community. Throughout this process, the District has remained committed to full transparency, and has been intentional and deliberate in its approach, working carefully to protect the integrity of the educational experience it provides to students for as long as it is able.
Superintendent Billy Smith was direct in acknowledging both the difficulty and the integrity of the process, noting that the goal has been, and will continue to be, to make the most responsible decisions possible while preserving what matters most for the children and families we serve. "The District was true to the process, and the input of staff and the community truly did have an impact on our plan moving forward," Smith said. "With these recommended Tier 1 reductions, we did our best to minimize the impact on teaching, learning, and student opportunities."