2023-2024 Annual Budget Adopted by School Board

Budget Overview

At the August 17 meeting, the board voted on:

• The maximum appropriation for the 2023-2024 school year for the following funds:
  • General fund: funds daily district operations – $383,181,760
  • Associated Student Body Fund (ASB): funds student activities – $7,667,856
  • Debt Service Fund: pays principle and debt for bonds – $118,187,496
  • Capital Projects Fund: funds new buildings, maintenance of buildings and fields, and technology including electronic curriculum – $150,029,243
  • Transportation Vehicle Fund: pays for new buses – $2,000,000
• Four-year budget forecast
• Four-year enrollment forecast

Budget Headlines

Some key points highlighted regarding the 2023-2024 budget include:

• Budget continues to reflect the district’s priorities – with no cuts to important programs and services like mental health supports, academic interventions, art, music, theater and a continued commitment to a broad diversity of student programming, and future-focused innovation.
• Reduced expenditures by $24.7 million (6.3%) with minimal impact to services for students and staff reductions.
• A significant portion of those savings were driven by right sizing the district by consolidating and transitioning 2 elementary schools. These decisions will have annual ongoing savings for the district.
• Other reductions were kept away from schools and rather, were focused on the central office and operational supports.
  • Reduced central office by $3.5 million
  • Maintained administrator and teacher leader positions in schools

Budget Assumptions and Adjustments

The budget is based on a series of assumptions, like our anticipated enrollment, the needs of students that will be attending our schools, the number of staff needed to serve those students, and the cost of items in the upcoming year.

• A budget approximates revenue and expenses over a specified future time period based on a series of assumptions.
• As these assumptions either become true or differ from reality, adjustments are made in spending plans.
• These adjustments are based on the principles upon which the budget was built and the overall direction of the district that the board and district leaders have set.
• If these adjustments are significant enough, the Board of Directors will be informed and consulted.

Questions from the Board

How is the district hiring during budget cutbacks?
The district lost staff throughout the spring and summer within typical pre-pandemic attrition rates (roughly 10% annually), so many of the positions currently posted are refilling roles that have been budgeted, but the individuals who were in those positions are no longer with the district. The roles are being refilled to support students.

Why can’t the district use Capital funds to resolve the budget crisis?
The money from Technology and Capital Projects Levy is designated for very specific purposes, funding student technology, classroom technology, technology training for educators, and maintenance and updates to our school buildings to ensure they are healthy, comfortable and safe. State law restricts the district from using that money to support ongoing education expenses.

So, the district cannot hire additional staff such as counselors, principals, and accountants, etc. — all of which are considered ongoing expenditures and must be paid from the General Fund. The district is not able to transfer monies between these funds except for very specific areas identified by the state. So, the district can’t use that money for the things in the General Fund where we have our budget crisis.

Learn More

• District Budget
• August 17 2023-2024 Budget Overview
  • View the August 17 Budget Overview presentation slides.
  • Watch the August 17 Budget Overview presentation.
• August 3 2023-2024 Budget Review
  • View the August 3 Budget Review presentation slides.
  • Watch the August 3 Budget Review presentation.
  • Hear board questions and discussion around this topic.
• May 18 2023-2024 Fiscal Year Budget Update
  • View the May 18 Fiscal Year Budget Update presentation slides.
  • Watch the May 18 Fiscal Year Budget Update presentation.
• Community Notice: Annual Budget (May 10, 2023)