PEORIA, AZ — On Thursday night, the Peoria Unified School Board voted to cut nine social workers who were funded by the Arizona Department of Education’s (ADE) School Safety Program, saying the funding is sunsetting for the school year.
The district told ABC15 that the decision would cut all of its social workers.
A spokesperson said the state previously had funded 33 positions for them through the grant and they were able to hire 22 social workers. Since then, policy changes have been made and the district ended up with nine social workers this year.
They are potentially looking for additional funding sources, but it is not a priority compared to getting school resource officers.
A new round of state grants will begin for the new school year, and districts are in the middle of applying, however, ADE said the need is high this year and they’re asking for additional funding from the state legislature.
In the video player above, ABC15's Elenee Dao has the full report on the vote and what it means for students and staff within the district.
This comes as the district is identifying ways to make up its budget deficit, including reducing positions in its schools, furlough days, and more.
Last month, the Peoria Unified Governing Board voted unanimously to close two elementary school campuses and turn one of their high schools into a 7th through 12th-grade campus.
More information on other measures being taken to balance the budget can be found here.
