Budgeting – THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK

Why School Employee Layoffs Are Rising in 2026: Budget Deficits, Enrollment Declines, and Policy Pressures

In 2026, school districts across the U.S. are grappling with significant budget shortfalls that are leading to layoffs of teachers, support staff, and administrators. These shortfalls reflect deeper structural issues including declining enrollment, rising costs, and the expiration of pandemic relief funds, forcing districts to confront tough staffing decisions. Here are 5 reasons districts areContinueContinue reading “Why School Employee Layoffs Are Rising in 2026: Budget Deficits, Enrollment Declines, and Policy Pressures”

Stop Building Programs and Start Building Systems

Across the country, school leaders are navigating one of the most unpredictable budget years in recent memory. The spreadsheets may look familiar, but the ground beneath them is anything but steady. Between the expiration of federal relief funds, fluctuating state revenues, and growing questions about the future direction of the U.S. Department of Education, theContinueContinue reading “Stop Building Programs and Start Building Systems”

Using Title IV Funds for Student Safety

Over the past year, 26 states spent a combined $950 million dollars on school safety. The funds were spent on a variety of resources including anonymous tip lines, SROs, web filtering, fencing, and camera systems. As the need for school safety spending grows, district officials are on the search for funding. Title IV of theContinueContinue reading “Using Title IV Funds for Student Safety”

5 Ways To Increase Technology Use for Teachers and Students

The educational technology business is a multi-billion dollar industry. Every year, districts spend tens of thousands of dollars on new programs, devices, tools, and gadgets. Sadly, many schools receive these new programs, devices, tools, and gadgets, and let them sit in boxes or unused on desktops. Not only are precious funds being wasted, but opportunitiesContinueContinue reading “5 Ways To Increase Technology Use for Teachers and Students”

5 Ways To Smartly Purchase Educational Technology

Edtech is a multi-billion dollar business. Edtech purchases have increased 5 times over the past five years. However, are these purchases actually doing students any good where it counts? Are they actually benefitting students in the classroom? As a technology in schools advocate, I urge all educators to carefully research and purchase devices and programsContinueContinue reading “5 Ways To Smartly Purchase Educational Technology”