Northwest ISD is eliminating over 100 teaching positions to close a nearly $16 million budget gap. Parents worry about larger class sizes and the impact on students. NBC 5’s Keenan Willard reports.
Parents in Northwest ISD are sharing concerns after the district announced it plans to cut 101 teaching jobs going into next school year.
The district told NBC 5 the cuts will help address a nearly $16 million budget deficit. Some families are now worried about the impact this move will have in the classroom.
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WATCH HERE“I’m very concerned for the teachers, they’re already overwhelmed,” said parent Gabriela Hawthorne. “And it’s going to put more pressure on them.”
Changes are coming to Northwest ISD: the district will eliminate 101 teaching positions by August, seeking to address a budget shortfall of $15.8 million.
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SIGN UP In November, Northwest ISD families voted against a VATRE tax increase of 3 cents that would have raised $16 million to keep the positions.
Instead, class sizes are set to rise.
“Those teachers have become my friends, they mean a lot to my students as well,” said parent Rebekah Baus. “And it’s sad for, it’s a sad reality.”
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The district told NBC 5 that grades 2-4 will move from 22 to 24 students per class, middle school classes will shift from 23.5 to 25.7 students per period, and high school class sizes will increase from 27.5 to 30 students per period.
Gabriela Hawthorne has two children in special education in the district. She’s worried about the effect larger classes will have on learning.
“Distractions, and maybe not all the attention they deserve,” said Hawthorne. “If one of the kids is struggling, they might not be having the one-on-one attention they need.”
NBC 5 reached out to Northwest ISD for a response to parent concerns about increasing class sizes.
“As with school districts across the state, Northwest ISD is facing ongoing challenges from the Texas School Funding Crisis,” a spokesperson for the district responded in a statement. “State leaders have not increased the base per-student funding in six years, which is used to balance salaries, class sizes, and student programs.”
“Northwest ISD is making these changes to preserve student program opportunities and avoid extensive layoffs,” the statement continued.
Some parents said they were frustrated that these teacher cuts were happening while the state moved towards approving school vouchers.
“I think they’re doing the best they can give the current state of public school funding in the state of Texas,” Baus said of Northwest ISD.
Seemingly with nowhere else to turn, some parents have been organizing to call state representatives, asking them to help turn public school funding around.
“Advocate for our kids and advocate for our district, and just encourage everybody to use your voice,” said Hawthorne.
Some parents said they planned to travel to Austin later this month to demonstrate alongside other parents, teachers, and students at Texas PTA’s Rally Day event.
