The Real Cost of Budget Cuts and Hiring Booms: Why Educator Mental Health Must Be a Priority
By Dr. Wenimo Okoya
As someone who began my teaching career in Newark Public Schools, I’ll never forget the feeling of finishing my first year and immediately entering a storm of uncertainty.
Budget cuts swept through the district, forcing teachers—myself included—into a space of anxiety and instability. Some were let go. Others watched their roles expand with larger class sizes and fewer resources. It was a painful reminder that for many educators, the profession isn’t just demanding—it can feel disposable.
The Reality of Budget Constraints on Schools
This reality is unfolding again in communities like my town of West Orange, NJ, where budget constraints are pushing districts to lay off teachers and pack more students into each classroom. These decisions, often made out of financial necessity, carry hidden costs. They break trust. They heighten stress. They send a clear, painful message to educators: You are expected to do more with less, and your well-being is secondary.
At the same time, districts like New York City Public Schools are facing the opposite challenge. With new class size mandates coming down, NYCPS must now hire more than double their usual number of teachers in a single year. That’s a staggering challenge in any climate—but especially now, when fewer people are entering the profession and retention rates remain low. The average cost of hiring a new teacher in a city like New York is about $25,000. And that’s before we consider the toll of losing them due to burnout within a few years.
The Federal Funding Cliff & Widespread Layoffs
These local stories are part of a national storm: the federal funding cliff. With the expiration of ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds this year, districts across the country are scrambling to fill major gaps in their budgets. These funds, which were a lifeline during the pandemic, helped pay for staffing, mental health supports, academic recovery programs, and more. Now, as those dollars vanish, schools are left to make impossible choices—often cutting the very supports that helped educators and students survive the last few years. It’s no surprise we’re seeing widespread layoffs, hiring freezes, and rising class sizes just as schools are still recovering from pandemic-era trauma.
We’re seeing the effects in educator well-being across the country. A January 2024 report found that while teachers’ reported well-being remained consistent with 2023 levels, they continue to experience job-related stress and burnout at dramatically higher rates than other working adults. In fact, twice as many teachers reported frequent stress or burnout, and roughly three times as many said they had difficulty coping with job-related stress. The profession is in crisis—and these numbers make clear that it’s not just about pay or workload; it’s about how the system is wearing educators down.
We Can’t Ignore Educator Mental Health
Whether your district is shrinking its staff or scrambling to expand, one truth remains: We can’t afford to ignore educator mental health.
At Healing Schools Project, we work daily with teachers, school leaders, and district partners who are navigating these high-stakes shifts. Our work is grounded in a simple but urgent truth: Teachers are human. They are grieving, coping, adjusting, and trying to pour into their students while their own cups are empty.
Supporting educators can’t be an afterthought. It must be embedded in the fabric of how schools operate—especially now. That means:
- Thoughtful onboarding that prioritizes relational trust and emotional resilience, not just logistics and compliance.
- Circle spaces and coaching that allow educators to process stress, connect with one another, and ground themselves in purpose.
- Leadership support that cultivates psychologically safe school cultures where teachers feel seen, valued, and empowered to lead.
- Retention strategies that invest in the joy and sustainability of teaching—not just recruitment pipelines.
What’s happening in West Orange, Newark, NYC, and beyond is a reflection of a national trend. Schools are being forced to adapt rapidly in an increasingly unstable climate, and teachers are bearing the brunt. If we don’t center healing and belonging as core components of our response, we will continue to cycle through costly hiring pushes and devastating losses—financially and emotionally.
Educator mental health isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a necessary investment in the future of our schools, our students, and our communities.