Chandler Unified School District has cut about 60 administrative, dean and coaching positions after enrollment fell by more than 4,000 students since 2022. Officials cite rising competition from charter schools, higher housing costs and lower birth rates as key drivers. Union leaders blame chronic state underfunding and diversion of funds to ESA vouchers, while teachers warn remaining staff will be stretched thin. Arizona’s 2022 universal school-choice program — offering roughly $7,000 per student — is a central policy context for the shift.
Chandler Unified Cuts About 60 Staff After Losing 4,000+ Students Amid School-Choice Shift
Chandler Unified School District Superintendent Franklin R. Narducci on Wednesday cited declines in enrollment since 2023, a year after lawmakers passed universal school choice to give parents options to choose schools outside of neighborhood public schools.(iStock)
Chandler Unified School District (CUSD), Arizona's second-largest district, has announced reductions of roughly 60 positions in administration, dean and coaching roles after a sustained decline in student enrollment.
Board Approves Staff Reductions
At a recent board meeting, district leaders approved staffing cuts intended to realign expenses with shrinking enrollment. Lana Berry, CUSD's chief financial officer, told board members enrollment has fallen by more than 4,000 students since 2022 and projected the decline to continue.
Reasons Behind The Drop
Superintendent Franklin R. Narducci said enrollment decreases began in 2023 and cited multiple contributing factors, including increased competition from charter schools, rising homeownership costs that affect family mobility and declining birth rates. Charter schools and voucher programs draw students — and the associated per-pupil funding — away from neighborhood public schools, a shift officials say has financial consequences for districts.
Teacher (at board meeting): "I feel like what they’re going to be asked to do is too much for a single person to do because they’re going to be doing essentially the work of three people in the time of one. I’m very concerned about the sustainability of that. I also worry that some families will say, ‘I want a librarian at my school,’ and they’ll leave and go to charter schools."
Union Response And Policy Context
Laurel Miller, president of the Chandler Education Association, blamed long-term state underfunding and criticized Arizona's ESA voucher program, which she characterized as "fraud-ridden" and said has diverted nearly $3 billion in taxpayer funds. Arizona implemented a universal school-choice program in 2022 that provides roughly $7,000 per child as part of an $800 million initiative; supporters say it expands parental options, while critics warn it reduces resources available to traditional public schools.
Local And Statewide Effects
Even after the reductions, CUSD remains the second-largest school district in Arizona and the East Valley’s second-largest employer. Other districts in the state, including Tucson Unified, have reported similar enrollment and budget pressures since universal school choice was enacted.
CUSD officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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