COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado Springs District 49 Board of Education eliminated 12 teaching positions Feb. 12, one month after the district declared fiscal exigency. Many of the fired teachers worked for the district for more than a decade.
“We don’t think we’re cutting anything that isn’t valuable,” said Peter Hilts, D49’s superintendent, in a school board meeting last January.
In order to stabilize the budget for the school year 2026-2027, the school board planned to reduce approximately $1,800,000 in teacher salary and benefits. Declining enrollment and the defunding of a state education tax caused a decline in the district’s revenue, while inflation and increasing healthcare costs increased the district’s expenses, Hilt said…