Union says proposed St. Paul schools layoff focused on English-language learner educators in wake of ICE surge

The head of public schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, is proposing the mid-year elimination of some educators, a plan the educators' union alleges was made in secret. 

In a letter, St. Paul Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacie Stanley says many students who are no longer enrolled in the district's schools are English-language learners, citing impacts from Operation Metro Surge and an overall decrease in district families. 

Stanley says funding is based largely on enrollment numbers. 

"I wish the circumstances were different, and that we were not in this situation that none of us asked to be in," Stanley wrote. 

The district would not comment beyond that letter. 

St. Paul Federation of Educators, the union representing the district's educators, says the cuts will be to teachers working with English-language learners. 

Union President Carrie Kyung says the school board is trying to rush the plan through, and dozens of schools will be impacted. She says the board needs to reject this scheme and reconsider its options for balancing the budget. 

The proposed budget recommendations will be discussed at Tuesday night's school board meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. 

The union is planning a rally beforehand. They're expecting more than 20 people to take the podium during public comment tonight. 

When it approved its budget for the 2025-26 school year, the district said it faced a $51.5 million deficit.

This story will be updated.