Arizona’s second-largest school district cut staff after losing enrollment due to “competition with charter schools.”
Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) Superintendent Franklin R. Narducci on Wednesday cited declines in enrollment since 2023, a year after lawmakers passed universal school choice to give parents options to choose schools outside of neighborhood public schools.
Narducci further cited several factors driving enrollment loss, including “competition with charter schools,” escalating costs of homeownership and declining birth rates.
Lana Berry, chief financial officer for the district, said enrollment dropped to over 4000 students since 2022 and is projected to continue dropping.
After all the staff cuts, CUSD remains the second-largest district in Arizona and the second-largest employer in the East Valley.
“Arizona public school districts are in an unfortunate and critical position due to the state legislature’s historical underfunding of public education,” Chandler Education Association President Laurel Miller reportedly said in an email.
Southernstar
Article URL : https://www.foxnews.com/media/arizona-school-district-takes-huge-blow-enrollment-after-parents-given-other-options