School District of Philadelphia will make central office, school-based cuts to manage $300M budget deficit

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Published  March 13, 2026 1:32pm EDT
FOX 29 Philadelphia
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The Brief

    • The School District of Philadelphia will slash $225M in operating costs by the end of the 2026-2027 academic year.
    • Cost-saving strategies include cuts to the district's central office and school-based cuts to more than 200 substitute positions.
    • The district is attempting to eliminate a $300M structural deficit by the 2029-2030 school year.

PHILADELPHIA - The School District of Philadelphia will cut $225M in operating costs next year in an effort to offset a $300M budget deficit by 2030.

What we know:

Spokesperson Monique Braxton said the district will make the necessary adjustments through central office and school-based cuts.

The cuts won't involve layoffs and budget or position cuts to the dozen-plus schools the district has recommended for closure.

Big picture view:

The district outlined central office cuts in an email to FOX 29 News, saying it will freeze vacancies and cut about 130 vacant positions.

The plan also includes cuts to central office spending and a reduction in "low return-on-investment programs," which the district claims will add up to more than $60M in savings. The district plans on saving over $100M by implementing what it calls "budget efficiencies."

Meanwhile, school-based cuts will involve eliminating 220 substitute positions and reassigning nearly 350 school-based positions. All impacted employees will have the chance to slide into other vacancies in accordance withe the collectively bargained agreement. This venture, the district says, will account for $43M.

School District of PhiladelphiaNews