Waterloo Community Schools confirmed that it will lay off some of its staff over the next two years. The layoffs are a result of the district’s diminishing budget in the wake of limited state funding increases and the possibility of a federal funding freeze.
Just how many staff and faculty will be let go is uncertain, but Superintendent Jared Smith said in a statement that “all employee groups will be affected to some extent.”
The superintendent also cited the exhaustion of COVID funds and inflation rates as reasons for the layoffs and warned that property taxes in the county could increase to make up some of that money.
The district’s general fund has dropped from $31 million to just over $8 million between 2023 and 2024. Smith said that the district will be implementing a two-year plan, so most layoffs will happen during the 2026-2027 school year.
