OVERNIGHT SHELTER AT THE JACKSON CIVIC CENTER THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND BEYOND IF NEEDED. NEW THIS MORNING, THE SACRAMENTO CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IS MOVING FORWARD WITH ADDITIONAL POSITION CUTS AS IT FACES AN ESTIMATED DEFICIT OF MORE THAN $100 MILLION NEXT YEAR. LET’S BRING IN DENSON CORTEZ NOW LIVE FROM THE NEWSROOM WITH THE VERY LATEST. YEAH, THE DISTRICT IS FACING DOWN THE BARREL OF A SIGNIFICANT PROJECTED DEFICIT FOR NEXT YEAR. HOWEVER, THE DISTRICT HAS SAID BEFORE, THESE CUTS AREN’T ALL DIRECTLY TIED TO THE DEFICIT. LAST NIGHT, THE SACRAMENTO CITY UNIFIED BOARD APPROVED CUTTING ABOUT 26 VACANT SCHOOL POSITIONS, INCLUDING NURSES, SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND COUNSELORS. THE BOARD HELD OFF 19 PROPOSED PRESCHOOL CUTS THAT WERE TABLED LAST WEEK. DISTRICT LEADERS SAY MORE THAN 400 FILLED AND VACANT POSITIONS WILL RECEIVE PRELIMINARY NOTICES MARCH 15TH, WHICH DO NOT GUARANTEE LAYOFFS, WITH FINAL NOTICES SCHEDULED FOR MAY 7TH. THAT ON MARCH 5TH, WE NEED EITHER UPDATES TO THE FISCAL SOLVENCY PLAN THAT TAKE CARE OF ENSURING WE’RE AT INTERIM, OR WE NEED LAYOFFS THAT ENSURE WE’RE TAKING CARE THAT WE WILL BE QUALIFIED AT SECOND INTERIM. AND SO IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE US TO REALLY MAKE SOME STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. AND WE HAVEN’T GOTTEN TO THAT PART. IN ADDITION TO ITS NOT CURRENTLY IN THE PLAN, SO WE’RE ALSO WORKING TO BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD. IN THE DISTRICT’S GOAL FOR ACHIEVING FISCAL SOLVENCY, LISA GRANT DAWSON, INTERIM CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER, TOLD THE BOARD THE DISTRICT IS NOW SPENDING LESS MONEY. LIVE FROM THE NEWSROOM, CORTEZ KCRA THREE NEWS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT ALSO SAID IN LAST NIGHT’S MEETING THAT THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING INTO CONTRACTS THAT THEY CAN CUT TO REACH THEIR GOAL.
Sacramento City Unified board votes to cut mental health positions amid budget deficit
The district navigating a $113 million projected deficit, as trustees make tough staffing decisions
Updated: 2:35 PM PST Feb 20, 2026
The Sacramento City Unified School District board voted Thursday to eliminate approximately 26 mental health and nursing positions while rejecting a proposal to cut preschool teaching roles.These decisions come during the district’s projected shortfall of $113 million next year.Trustees rejected a staff recommendation to eliminate 19 preschool teaching and coordination positions. “Yeah, we’re in a fiscal dump, but we still have to figure out how we can support this, at the cost of something else,” Trustee Jasjit Singh said about the preschool cuts.At its Feb. 12 meeting, the board previously voted 4-0, with three trustees absent, to issue preliminary layoff notices in mid-March to employees in more than 400 positions. Some of those roles are currently vacant, and the preliminary notices do not guarantee layoffs.The positions approved for elimination Thursday had been pulled from discussion at last week’s meeting. The district has said these are annual reviews of staffing levels based on student enrollment. As enrollment continues to decline, staffing reductions typically follow, regardless of the budget situation. Some additional layoff notices, however, are the result of the district’s budget situation.Of the 26 positions being cut, 15 are TK-12 positions. Six are combined social worker and clinical psychologist positions, and the rest are 7.8 counselor positions and 1.4 school psychologist positions.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Sacramento City Unified School District board voted Thursday to eliminate approximately 26 mental health and nursing positions while rejecting a proposal to cut preschool teaching roles.
These decisions come during the district’s projected shortfall of $113 million next year.
Trustees rejected a staff recommendation to eliminate 19 preschool teaching and coordination positions.
“Yeah, we’re in a fiscal dump, but we still have to figure out how we can support this, at the cost of something else,” Trustee Jasjit Singh said about the preschool cuts.
At its Feb. 12 meeting, the board previously voted 4-0, with three trustees absent, to issue preliminary layoff notices in mid-March to employees in more than 400 positions. Some of those roles are currently vacant, and the preliminary notices do not guarantee layoffs.
The positions approved for elimination Thursday had been pulled from discussion at last week’s meeting.
The district has said these are annual reviews of staffing levels based on student enrollment. As enrollment continues to decline, staffing reductions typically follow, regardless of the budget situation. Some additional layoff notices, however, are the result of the district’s budget situation.
Of the 26 positions being cut, 15 are TK-12 positions. Six are combined social worker and clinical psychologist positions, and the rest are 7.8 counselor positions and 1.4 school psychologist positions.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel