ATA staff cuts: 205 fewer employees in Lombardy (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• Cut of 2,174 school staff nationwide.
• In Lombardy, 205 fewer positions are expected for the 2026/2027 school year.
• The measure stems from Law 207 of December 30, 2024.
• Unions such as CGIL and UIL contest the government's decision.

• What: Reduction of school staff (ATA).
• When: 2026/2027 school year.
• Where: Italy and Lombardy region.
• Who: Ministry of Education and unions (CGIL, UIL).
• Amount: 205 fewer positions in Lombardy, 2,174 in Italy.
• Legislation: Law 207 of December 30, 2024 (2025 Budget Law).

The 2026/2027 school year opens with a significant reduction in the staff of ATA personnel, particularly school staff. Official tables confirm a national reduction that brings the available positions from 131,143 to 128,969 units, marking a decrease of 2,174 positions. In this scenario, Lombardy suffers a reduction of 205 units, going from 19,736 to 19,531 staff. This measure is legally based on Law 207 of December 30, 2024, known as the 2025 Budget Law, which in Article 1, paragraph 828, provided for the cut plan starting from the current school year. The subsequent implementation occurred through Ministerial Decree 211 of November 2025, concentrating the cuts mainly on secondary schools. Trade union organizations, particularly FLC CGIL and UIL Scuola, have expressed strong opposition to these provisions, emphasizing that the numerical reduction cannot disregard the real needs of school buildings. The main concern is the ability of schools to maintain adequate standards of supervision and assistance.

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Operational details

The analysis of the criteria used to define the 2026/27 staffing levels shows how the Government has based its choices on the prediction of demographic decline and school population, introducing a specific corrective for the presence of students with disabilities. At the national level, the ATA staffing has been set at 194,303 units. However, the point of friction between institutions and unions lies precisely in this calculation methodology. The union representatives argue that the decrease in the number of students does not automatically lead to a reduction in the workload for ATA staff. Maintenance, supervision, and assistance must be guaranteed regardless of demographic fluctuations, as the physical structures — corridors, bathrooms, gyms, and laboratories — remain the same. This discrepancy between bureaucratic parameters and daily operational needs creates growing tension within the Lombardy school system.

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Key points

The current situation requires constant monitoring by sector operators and the families involved. The legislation introduced with the 2025 Budget Law does not leave immediate room for maneuver, but the trade union dialogue remains open in an attempt to obtain corrective measures that take into account the peculiarities of individual schools. Those who work within the school or interface with it must be aware that the management of safety and cleaning could undergo operational variations in the coming months. It is essential for anyone interested in understanding the impact of these policies on the territory to follow the evolution of the implementing decrees and the official communications of the reference school institutions.

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Source: varesenews.it