TOLEDO, Ohio — In a dramatic emergency session that left a standing-room-only crowd in shock, the Toledo Public Schools (TPS) Board of Education voted unanimously on Thursday, December 18, 2025, to eliminate 115 positions effective immediately.
The move is part of a desperate State Required Pre-Caution Recovery Plan designed to address a looming $68 million deficit that administrators say will devastate the district by fiscal year 2026. As the deadline for the state filing approached, the board’s decision signaled a “point of no return” for a district grappling with declining enrollment and a massive shortfall in state and federal funding.
The Anatomy of a $68 Million Crisis
The financial turmoil hitting Toledo is not a single event but a “perfect storm” of economic pressures. According to Deputy Superintendent Jim Gant, the district was forced into the state’s “pre-caution” category due to deficit spending forecasts.
The $68 million shortfall is driven by four primary factors:
- Funding Formula Changes: A $24 million reduction in state funding over the next two years as the legislature froze updates to the funding formula.
- Enrollment Decline: The district has lost approximately 320 students since October, resulting in a loss of $3 million in 2026 and $7 million in 2027.
- Rising Operational Costs: Negotiated salary increases and health benefit spikes have exceeded original 2026/2027 forecasts by $13 million.
- Levy Shortfalls: $18 million in planned operating expenditure reductions from the 2024 levy are now being realised.
Transformation Plan 2.0: Is a Four-Day School Week Next?
While the board’s vote focused on the immediate elimination of 115 jobs, the meeting also previewed Transformation Plan 2.0—a radical restructuring of the Toledo education system.
The most controversial proposal is a shift to a four-day school week (Tuesday-Friday). To comply with state hour requirements, school days would be extended by 75 minutes. Supporters argue this would reduce staff burnout and save on utilities/transportation, but parents and union leaders expressed panic over the logistical nightmare this poses for childcare and working families.
Other key elements of Transformation Plan 2.0 include:
- Magnet School Expansion: Turning traditional schools like Bowsher High School into specialized academies (e.g., Fine Arts).
- Building Reconfiguration: Moving toward a K-6 and 7-12 grade structure citywide.
- Athletic Centralisation: Centralizing athletic programs at four locations to “maintain competitive balance.”
- Scott Park Pause: A “pause” on Phase 2 of the $100 million Scott Park redevelopment project to reassess funding.
Union Backlash: “Cuts are Not Leadership”
The atmosphere inside the boardroom was thick with tension. Kevin Dalton, President of the Toledo Federation of Teachers (TFT), questioned the legitimacy of the $68 million figure, asking, “How was the deficit allowed to balloon like that on paper?”
Teachers and staff held signs with slogans like “Put Students First” and “New Teachers Need Support.” Under the newly approved plan, the job losses for 2026 include:
- 40 Administrative positions (33 from the central office).
- 60 Teacher positions (primarily teachers on special assignment and coaches).
- 15 Support staff positions (AFSCME).
“We will protect the promise made to our members and to the children we serve,” Dalton told the board. “The provisions in our contract are not items to be ignored.”
Why “School District Solvency” is the Top Priority
Superintendent Romules Durant defended the cuts as a necessary defence against “political bullies in Columbus” who he claims do not value public education. He emphasised that without these immediate layoffs and a potential salary freeze in 2027, the district could face a state takeover.
“The district does not have a choice,” said Deputy Superintendent Gant. “We must be in solvency.”