Palo Alto Unified School District faces $33 million budget deficit

The Palo Alto Unified School District is facing a $33 million budget deficit for the upcoming school year, which may lead to significant layoffs and the elimination of various programs and services. Superintendent Jason Glass stated that closing this gap will be the school board’s primary task over the next two years, warning that the process will likely be difficult.

To mitigate the impact, the district plans to first attempt leaving vacant positions unfilled and reassigning existing employees to different roles. Some administrative positions in the district office have already remained unfilled. Board member Shounak Dharap noted that the district will likely have to fire staff to address the shortfall. Additionally, board member Shana Segal has proposed discussing a renewal of the district’s parcel tax to help resolve the financial crisis.