Jeffco Public Schools’ projected budget deficit for the current academic year grew to $49 million as K-12 enrollment dropped more than expected in the fall, according to a presentation district leaders plan to give to the Board of Education on Wednesday afternoon.
The $10 million increase — the deficit had been estimated at $39 million — comes as Jeffco Public Schools notified 50 employees last month that their jobs will be eliminated at the end of the school year as part of the district’s efforts to trim $45 million in spending.
Overall, Jeffco Public Schools cut 139 full-time equivalent positions in the district’s central office — most of which were made via retirements and other turnover.
The district is expected to make further cuts in the coming months as the total budget allocated to schools is reduced by $14 million, according to a separate presentation Jeffco Public Schools leaders plan to give Wednesday.
Principals will notify employees if they plan to cut jobs at individual schools between January and March, with the reductions going into effect in June, according to the presentation.
District officials have not said how many additional jobs will be cut, but a majority of schools can expect their budget to be reduced by no more than 3%, according to the presentation.
The budget reductions are expected to improve Jeffco Public Schools’ financial situation, with district leaders forecasting a much smaller $3 million deficit for the 2026-27 academic year, according to preliminary numbers.
Jeffco Public Schools, the state’s second-largest K-12 system, has operated at a loss for several years, requiring district officials to pull money from reserves to balance the district’s nearly $1 billion budget.
The financial crisis stems from Jeffco Public Schools being among the first K-12 systems to experience significant enrollment declines as fewer people have babies. Districts receive less per-pupil funding from the state when there are fewer children in their classrooms.
K-12 enrollment is falling statewide, but metro Denver districts received a surprise in the fall as they discovered fewer students in their classrooms than expected — a trend districts have attributed to the Trump administration’s mass deportations.
The influx of immigrant students had provided a buffer for districts experiencing falling enrollment in recent years.
Jeffco Public Schools, which has 74,191 pupils, expected K-12 enrollment to drop by 933 students this year. Instead, the district lost 1,530 students, resulting in a $5 million funding drop, according to the presentation.
District officials also revised their 2025-26 budget to include an additional $5.6 million in expenses, which primarily went to pay employee salaries and benefits, such as for special education paraprofessionals, according to the presentation.
As part of the budget reductions, the district eliminated jobs in multiple departments, including human resources, food and nutrition services, information technology, and those that serve early-childhood education and children with disabilities, according to the district’s presentation.
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Jeffco Public Schools lays off 50 employees as it cuts 139 total positions Jeffco Public Schools employees to learn this week if they’ll lose their jobs Jeffco Public Schools to cut at least 150 jobs as district faces deficitJeffco Public Schools also eliminated the deputy superintendent job and an executive assistant position.
The budget reductions mean that schools will have less support for providing social-emotional learning and restorative practices. The district reduced the number of custodian positions, meaning employees have to cover more spaces, while “non-health” related cleanings will happen less frequently and repairs take longer, according to the presentation.
Other impacts of the cuts include fewer meal options for students and slower response times for schools seeking substitute teachers, according to the presentation.
District officials plan to ask voters in November to approve a $15 million mill levy that would increase revenue by raising property taxes. Superintendent Tracy Dorland has previously said the district will have to make more cuts if the ballot initiative fails.
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