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A proposed round of budget reductions totaling more than $4.2 million across Duluth Public Schools would cut staff positions, scale back programs and increase class sizes in some buildings as district leaders work to balance the 2026-27 general fund.
The district’s “Estimated General Fund Budget Reductions Breakdown” report outlines $4,296,067 in projected savings, affecting every school site as well as district-level operations. The plan relies on standard cost estimates of $50,000 per non-certified position and $100,000 per certified position, though officials noted that seniority rules mean listed cuts do not necessarily correspond to specific employees.
District-level reductions account for the largest share at $970,000, followed by cuts at Duluth East High School ($450,000), Ordean East Middle School ($350,000) and Denfeld High School ($303,500). Elementary and middle schools across the district would also see reductions ranging from about $70,000 to $300,000.
Additional savings of $607,000 are projected through reductions in contracted services and other districtwide expenses.
The plan includes eliminating or reducing dozens of positions, including teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors and administrative staff. Several positions would not be filled after retirements, while others would be reduced or reassigned.
Among the most significant changes, the district would cut one counselor each at East and Denfeld high schools, returning staffing to pre-pandemic levels. Career and technical education positions at Denfeld would be reduced by 1.9 full-time equivalents, while multiple teaching sections across high schools would be eliminated based on enrollment.
At the elementary level, some schools would see larger class sizes. At Laura MacArthur Elementary, the removal of a fourth-grade teacher would increase class sizes from about 15 students to more than 22 per class. A second-grade teacher cut at Piedmont Elementary would similarly raise class sizes to nearly 23 students per class.
District officials said they attempted to keep reductions away from classrooms when possible, instead targeting administrative roles, support services and programs with declining enrollment. Still, several academic and intervention positions — including reading and math specialists — are slated for cuts.
The district would also eliminate or scale back a number of programs and services, including early release at high schools, PEAK programming and several software subscriptions and digital tools. Officials estimate those changes alone would save nearly $300,000.
In addition to cuts, the report details targeted reallocations designed to preserve key student supports. For example, Denfeld would retain five of six “Check and Connect” mentors through reallocated funding, while Laura MacArthur Elementary School would add a social-emotional-behavioral specialist by shifting resources from other reductions.
Other reallocations include maintaining a first-grade teaching position at Piedmont using federal Title II funds and preserving limited counseling and mentoring support at multiple sites.
District leaders said the reallocation strategy reflects an effort to prioritize mental health services and early-grade instruction despite overall reductions.
The report emphasizes that all figures are estimates and could change as staffing decisions are finalized. It also notes that “full-time equivalent,” or FTE, is used as a standard measure of workload and does not necessarily represent a single individual.
The proposed reductions come as school districts across Minnesota face financial pressure from rising costs, enrollment shifts and the expiration of federal pandemic relief funding.
District officials have not yet announced a final timeline for implementing the reductions but said further review and adjustments are expected before the 2026-27 budget is adopted.
