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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Paul school board OKs $1 billion budget for 2026
The St. Paul Public Schools board of education unanimously approved a $1 billion budget for the upcoming school year on Tuesday. An estimated $51.1 million budget shortfall is to be covered by $35.5 million in reserve funds and $15.6 million in budget cuts and new revenue under the budget. Of the overall budget reductions, 74%, or $11.5 million, come from cuts in central office departments – 8% of the district's total budget – including Schools and Learning, administration and operations and financial services, human resources and equity, strategy and innovation. Those departments will have cuts in staffing, contracts and vendor services, travel and supplies and service levels. Feedback this year from the community and board members encouraged district officials to look toward central office administration when making reductions, said Jackie Turner, executive chief of administration and operations. 'And we heard that as, stay away from the schools as much as you can,' Turner said. 'And I believe that the budget you see tonight does all of those things.' Drawing from the district's fund balance for the budget shortfall will maintain programs and services as much as possible, district officials said. They attribute the shortfall to state funding not keeping pace with inflation in the past 20 years and increased expenses. They also acknowledged that future adjustments may need to be made to the budget. During its May meeting, the board approved a resolution directing the district administration to prepare a November referendum recommendation for additional district revenue. Ballot language is expected to come before the board in July. The results of that referendum and as well as changes to enrollment may necessitate future budget adjustments, according to district officials. 'But I do hope that folks in our community who had concerns about the budget and the way that we're spending money, maybe there was something they cared about … that they will continue to speak to us if the concerns that they had bear out to be true,' board member Uriah Ward said. While the board passed an approximately $1 billion budget last year — this year's budget is around $8 million less — board members praised the increase in transparency this time around. Key components of the budget are construction and debt service, said district budget chief Tom Sager. The district's capital projects fund is $118.9 million. Additional revenue will not only include the proposed referendum, but also potential reductions in the district's facilities portfolio, said SPPS Superintendent Stacie Stanley. Some changes to the approved budget since the board's May meeting include $543,000 added from the general fund to reinstate some positions and programming in Early Childhood Family Education, or ECFE — a voluntary program for parents and their children below the age for kindergarten enrollment. Parents and community members in April had spoken against previously proposed cuts to the program. $60,000 was also added to the budget for student engagement support. St. Paul Central students design a mascot to represent everyone St. Paul's Maxfield Elementary breaks ground on 'community schoolyard' SPPS: New Superintendent Stacie Stanley begins first week with district St. Paul Public Schools narrows achievement gap in 2024 graduation rates St. Paul schools hit pre-COVID graduation levels, state reaches record high
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Paul school board gathers feedback on budget, including proposed cuts
Community members on Tuesday shared feedback on the St. Paul school district's cash-strapped 2025-26 budget, with some objecting to proposed cuts to early childhood programming and family resources. The school board will see a proposed budget at its May 20 meeting, and district officials have been hosting community informational meetings on the budget since late March. Board members have until June 30 to finalize the budget for the 2025-26 school year and will vote on the proposal June 10. The district estimates $732.1 million in expenses in the coming school year, with an estimated $51.1 million budget shortfall. The board has agreed to use $34.9 million in reserve funds for the shortfall, with the remaining $16.2 million to come from budget cuts and new revenue, according to the district. Last year's St. Paul Public Schools budget shortfall was around $108 million. Initial staff reduction letters were distributed Friday for positions eliminated due to budget or non-renewal due to performance. The district, which as of February had 6,088 full- and part-time staff, attributes the budget shortfall to increased expenses — such as increased employee wages and benefits — rising costs of goods and services and no expected increases to state, federal or local revenue to adjust for inflation, outside of the base funding formula and local operating levy. Parents and community members at Tuesday night's meeting spoke against cuts to Early Childhood Family Education, or ECFE — a voluntary program for parents and their children below the age for kindergarten enrollment — and Achievement Plus — a private-public partnership between SPPS and the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation that provides resources to families such as health services and food support. ECFE is facing proposed budget cuts of $1.46 million in the upcoming budget and a reduction from six sites to four. The Achievement Plus Initiative is set to end June 30, according to Achievement Plus director Rick Gibson in a March statement. The end of Achievement Plus and its liaison role is a loss of a connection between schools and critical services, such as housing assistance, in-school dental care and summer programs, SPPS parent Amber Rae Bernhardt said at Tuesday meeting. 'Cutting this program is not a cost-saving measure, it's a cost-shifting measure — shifting the burden onto the backs of struggling families and underresourced schools,' Bernhardt said. Other parents urged the school board to consider the community and support that ECFE has provided parents. ECFE programming includes parent discussion groups, early health and developmental screenings for children and home visits, among other resources. 'I am sure you will have better students and citizens with more involved, more prepared and more sound parents. Do whatever it takes to find a budget, even if it is asking for our help,' said SPPS parent Liliana Sanchez. The overall budget amount allocated to schools will increase by approximately 6%, or $26.2 million, in 2025-26. This is primarily due to increased enrollment, more students in special education and expanded middle school options, according to the district. SPPS saw an increase in enrollment for the 2024-25 school year compared with last, the first year in a decade it had higher enrollment than the year before. Nearly all district revenue — such as state aid and local property taxes — is tied to enrollment. The board has three guidelines for the budget, which include sustaining funding for early education in order to retain and prepare students for elementary school; sustaining funding for enrollment efforts; and sustaining expenditures for increasing student engagement and decreasing absenteeism. The board will address Tuesday's community feedback at its May 6 meeting. The proposed budget will continue to be updated until its approval in June. Feedback can be also shared on the district's website at St. Paul schools, other districts cancel after-school activities Monday due to weather Joe Soucheray: Cutting the pittance set aside for private schools? Typical Four guns found in and near St. Paul high schools in a week's span Como Planetarium to celebrate 50 years at April 17 'star party' Boys basketball tournament: Making its first state appearance, Harding is doing it for everyone
