On March 25, 2026, Superintendent Julie Hackett announced that a significant number of staff reductions were expected, with 72 positions eliminated across the school district. Positions were eliminated across a wide range of departments—including technology, extra help, and teacher support—following decisions made by school administrators.

The major cause behind the teacher layoffs—budget cuts—is not a new development. Necessary expenditures, according to Principal Andrew Baker, have increased exponentially, including spending for transportation, special education, and health care. Additionally, issues with grants from the federal government are amplifying the consequences on teachers. 

Teachers impacted by these reductions were each given a “pink slip,” more formally known as a contract non-renewal slip, notifying them that they would not be returning as Lexington Public Schools employees for the next school year.

In the past month, these reductions and pink slips have been met with heavy backlash by teachers and students. Several have spoken out about the impact of budget cuts and reductions on the school community, as well as the lack of transparency on the school district’s part. 

“[The administration] could be doing more. They could be more transparent, and they could be more accessible. They should ask for student and maybe even parent input,” Nyneishia Schneider, a junior at LHS, said.

Beyond communication concerns, students worry about the long-term effects of these cuts. 

“One of the biggest things that I’m worried about with this move is that a lot of the teachers that are being impacted are younger teachers. And already there aren’t a lot of people who grow up saying, I want to be a teacher. We don’t have a lot of new teachers entering the workforce,” Aarya Dalvi, a junior at LHS, said. “Moves like this discourage our teachers from following this career path.”

The staff reduction process must adhere strictly to established protocols, providing an explanation for why younger teachers are generally being impacted the most. 

“There’s a teacher’s contract,” Baker explained, referring to a contract negotiated by the Lexington Education Association—Lexington’s teachers’ union. “There are rules in the contract. If you’re reducing the number of teachers, [there] are factors in terms of who is let go first versus who is let go last.” 

These factors include considerations such as seniority and “professional teacher status”—more commonly known as tenure—which is achieved after three full years of service at the school.

After examination of these factors, around 160 pink slips were sent out to teachers in Lexington Public Schools, 66 of which were given to LHS employees. 

Since the distribution of these slips, the high school administration has worked to bring many of the employees back. According to Baker, 58 of the teachers who had been given slips have now been hired back.

“By creating the largest possible pool of vacancies at one time [through the pink slips], we could put all the options on the table for the teachers who had the rights to move into those jobs, then backfill with those pre-professional status teachers who we would still have spots for at the school,” Baker said. 

Next year, various teachers from the middle schools will also be arriving at LHS. This reshuffling tactic protects the jobs of those teachers with professional teacher status, allowing them to keep their jobs in the district, even if their position has changed. 

Nevertheless, the process can still put pressure on teachers. 

“Even if [the teachers] have the possibility of being rehired, that stress is just horrible, not just for the teachers, but for the students as well,” Schneider said. “I’ve talked to teachers who have gotten the pink slips. I know teachers who have broken down crying just because of these things.”

Baker also acknowledged the emotional toll of the cuts. 

“It’s painful to have to make decisions like this and to let people go. I’ve only been principal for three years, so these [teachers] are all the people I’ve hired,” Baker said. “I sat in an interview committee, and I got to know them. They’re my people.”