In District Budget Cutting, Count on These Five Factors

My VieW

In January, I began a new superintendency. It was the first time I started a new position mid-year and hoped it would have some advantages. I developed a plan with the school board that focused on getting to know the staff and community and beginning a dialogue with stakeholders about establishing a future-driven plan for learning.

Silly me to be so optimistic. Over my first 10 days, the district had two high-profile meetings about what to do with three properties that were closed due to declining enrollment. I had expected this, having been adequately informed about recent controversy surrounding the issue. I also had expected we would need to tighten our belts in a couple of years, as an agreement with the local power authority was expiring, which would result in a $2 million hole in our budget.

What I did not know was we would be facing a $3 million budget shortfall for the 2024-25 school year. Here we go again, as they say.

My team and I got to work immediately, with our first strategy being to capitalize on a retirement incentive that had been negotiated in the recent teacher contract. My union president was a true partner in conversations about the district’s long-term financial sustainability. Although the retirements helped significantly, retirements alone were not enough to close the gap. This was not going to be a one-and-done problem.