We won't fill ESL vacant positions and will offer early retirement packages to 12 EL teachers

On Oct. 30, 2026, the Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Board of Education met to discuss alternative solutions for balancing the district’s budget due to a steep decline of English learners after Operation Metro Surge. As I have shared over the past several weeks, SPPS has approximately 542 fewer EL students than what we budgeted for. This equates to a loss of $4.9 million in funding for this school year.
School board policy requires that the district’s reserve funds remain above 5% of our daily operating expenses. After bringing a recommendation to the Board on October 20, they voted to allow more time to identify other ways to reduce expenses. District leaders and the Saint Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) have been meeting since then to find a solution that balances the budget while keeping our students at the center.
Several options were presented and carefully considered. Ultimately, the Board voted to approve the recommendation that includes not filling certain positions that are currently vacant, and offering an early retirement package to up to 12 EL teachers. This will also require additional reductions to EL teaching positions at the end of the school year. You can view the full presentation and watch the discussion on Eduvision.
By taking this action, the district’s reserve funds will remain above the 5% minimum. Most importantly, this decision will result in less disruption for our English learners and the staff who support them. Students who will experience a change to their EL teacher or schedule will receive additional information from their school.
I remain saddened that we are in this position, and regret the added stress that this situation has caused. Behind all of these numbers are people: our students, and the dedicated EL staff who serve them. These numbers are also a painful reminder of the hardships that our community experienced last winter, and the trauma that remains. The students who are no longer in our schools remain in our hearts. 
I will continue to do all that I can to provide the best possible educational experience for our amazing students in SPPS.