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Budget cuts and layoffs

At least 1 in 7 of the 4,162 school board meetings we read in the past year dealt with budget cuts and layoffs.

Spreadsheet: all 4,162 meetings read, 745 marked yes
17.9%of meetings (90% range of our count 16.2%⁠–⁠19.6%)
745meetings
326districts

We catch about 7 in 10 meetings that discuss this (90% range 59%⁠–⁠82%); counts are floors.

By state

Meetings where we found budget cuts and layoffs, state by state

Of the 4,162 checked meetings the issue check read since Nov 1, 2025 · alphabetical, not ranked: we haven't measured how much of each state our count catches, so states can't be compared on these floors · the quiet band is each state's 90% range · a state needs 30+ meetings from 5+ districts, and a state that is mostly one district is named with that district

  1. California38.5% · 30%⁠–⁠47% · 342 mtgs
  2. Colorado22.0% · 12%⁠–⁠31% · 68 mtgs
  3. Connecticut20.6% · 11%⁠–⁠31% · 121 mtgs
  4. Florida34.2% · 20%⁠–⁠50% · 35 mtgs
  5. Georgia17.6% · 8%⁠–⁠30% · 34 mtgs
  6. Illinois14.8% · 8%⁠–⁠23% · 215 mtgs
  7. Indiana10.8% · 6%⁠–⁠16% · 156 mtgs
  8. Kansas5.7% · 0%⁠–⁠20% · 35 mtgs
  9. Louisiana13.8% · 3%⁠–⁠29% · 36 mtgs
  10. Maryland23.5% · 7%⁠–⁠33% · 34 mtgs
  11. Michigan14.5% · 8%⁠–⁠21% · 213 mtgs
  12. Minnesota11.2% · 5%⁠–⁠18% · 116 mtgs
  13. Missouri18.0% · 8%⁠–⁠27% · 100 mtgs
  14. New Jersey23.6% · 16%⁠–⁠31% · 250 mtgs
  15. New York11.7% · 8%⁠–⁠16% · 478 mtgs
  16. North Carolina10.9% · 5%⁠–⁠18% · 91 mtgs
All 47 states
  1. Ohio17.3% · 10%⁠–⁠25% · 248 mtgs
  2. Oregon20.7% · 10%⁠–⁠30% · 77 mtgs
  3. Pennsylvania5.3% · 2%⁠–⁠9% · 244 mtgs
  4. Tennessee7.9% · 3%⁠–⁠14% · 88 mtgs
  5. Texas29.4% · 21%⁠–⁠37% · 241 mtgs
  6. Virginia13.0% · 7%⁠–⁠20% · 146 mtgs
  7. Washington28.2% · 20%⁠–⁠37% · 124 mtgs
  8. Wisconsin20.7% · 12%⁠–⁠29% · 231 mtgs
  9. Alabama— 25 meetings read
  10. Alaska— 9 meetings read
  11. Arizona— 7 meetings read
  12. Arkansas— 7 meetings read
  13. Delaware— 4 meetings read
  14. Idaho— 19 meetings read
  15. Iowa— mostly one district: Decorah Community School District, 2 of 4 meetings
  16. Kentucky— mostly one district: Woodford County School District, 2 of 3 meetings
  17. Maine— 10 meetings read
  18. Massachusetts— 5 meetings read
  19. Mississippi— 16 meetings read
  20. Montana— mostly one district: Missoula H S School District, 1 of 1 meeting
  21. Nebraska— 11 meetings read
  22. Nevada— 17 meetings read
  23. New Hampshire— 26 meetings read
  24. New Mexico— 24 meetings read
  25. North Dakota— 18 meetings read
  26. Oklahoma— 11 meetings read
  27. South Carolina— 18 meetings read
  28. South Dakota— 6 meetings read
  29. Utah— 21 meetings read
  30. West Virginia— 9 meetings read
  31. Wyoming— 24 meetings read
The map

Every district we read, sized by how many of its meetings discussed budget cuts and layoffs

Oakland Unified, CA 17Los Angeles Unified, CA 15Kenosha School District, WI 12

One point per district at its Census location · 9 of 1,114 districts have no Census point · one colour, no sides · How we count

Discussed, and who came to speak

Where budget cuts and layoffs came up, against how many members of the public speak

131030100+Typical district 13%Many speakers, rarely discussedMany speakers, often discussedOften discussed, few speakersPublic speakers per meeting ↑↑ Public speakers per meetingSan Francisco Unified 83%, 32.3 a meetingLos Angeles Unified 78%, 30.9 a meetingFort Worth ISD 88%, 30.1 a meetingSacramento City Unified 100%, 7.3 a meeting
← Less often on budget cuts and layoffsMore of its meetings →

Also discussed at 185 more districts where we read fewer than 6 meetings:

In the news

At least 840 news articles found by search, Oct 29, 2025 to Oct 28, 2026

Districts that discussed it most

Oakland Unified discussed it at 17 meetings, more than any other district.

17 of 22Oakland Unified CAmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings15 of 19Los Angeles Unified CAmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings12 of 20Kenosha School District WImeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings9 of 9Sacramento City Unified CAmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings8 of 9Fort Worth ISD TXmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings8 of 10Austin ISD TXmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings8 of 12Lorain City School District OHmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings8 of 13Cherry Hill Township School District NJmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings8 of 14Eastchester Union Free School District NYmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings7 of 9Grayslake Community Consolidated School District 46 ILmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings
The meetings behind this number

All 745 meetings, newest first

Showing the newest 100

Spreadsheet: all 4,162 meetings read, 745 marked yes