HARTFORD, Conn. — Hartford Public Schools is planning to eliminate 387 positions across the district, Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez said Wednesday.
In a statement, Torres-Rodriguez said that the cuts will include 67 (16.5%) positions in the Central Office, and 320 (11.2%) across the schools in the district.
Some of the positions were already open and others were considered to be temporary, according to Torres-Rodriguez.
The Hartford Superintendent cited the reason behind the cuts to be a lack of city funding "for the last 10 years," and tuition costs "through the School Choice system" that have gone up to $122,000,000, "up 200% over the same time."
In January, district data showed that the budget was temporarily boosted by ESSER federal COVID relief funding, which helped to add positions and programs to the school, according to Hartford Public Schools Deputy Superintendent of Administration, Strategy, and Performance Accountability Paul Foster.
With the district facing a projected deficit of $77.7 million and losing its COVID funding, the superintendent said at the time that they would need to decide on how to "pull back on something that is really serving our young people well."
Final revisions to the budget will take place through April 12, and a Board of Education budget vote will take place on April 16, the school district said.
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