Robbinsdale School District Facing $17M in Budget Cuts
With the Robbinsdale Area School District facing significant budget deficits heading into fiscal year 2025, district administrators are proposing about $17 million in budget cuts to make up the difference.
According to school district documents, if spending trends remain unchanged, the district will face an estimated $2.1 million deficit by the end of fiscal year 2024. That deficit would increase to about $10.5 million in fiscal year 2025.
Why the Deficit at Robbinsdale Area Schools?
The district is projecting increases in costs for transportation, salaries and benefits.
Likewise, the district is expecting a $5.3 million drop in federal aid in fiscal year 2025. Part of that federal aid came in the form of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. The district will have spent the entirety of these COVID-era one-time grants by fiscal year 2025.
Student enrollment at Robbinsdale Area Schools is expected to decline in fiscal year 2025.
Meanwhile, at a Jan. 22 work session, district officials said they need to add about $3 million to the district’s fund balance.
“Even though we’re giving you the number $17 million, it really is about us being able to replenish our fund balance, but we have not began to think about where those reductions come — that is the work that happens after this,” said interim Superintendent Marti Voight.
Robbinsdale Area School Board Member Kim Holmes said financial mistakes were made by the board and district staff.
“We misstepped,” said Holmes. “This board misstepped, the administration misstepped. If we weren’t tracking historical decreased enrollment — and one of the biggest things they told us not to do with ESSER dollars was hire positions — and we did it. So we have to come out and take some ownership.”
All of this comes as the district is searching for a permanent superintendent to replace David Engstrom, who split ways with the district in September.
Robbinsdale Area School District administrators are proposing about $17 million in budget cuts for fiscal year 2025.
School District To Consider Budget Cuts
The district hasn’t made decisions about where the $17 million in budget reductions may come from. That said, officials anticipate cuts of about $10 million in salaries and wages and about $3.1 million in benefits.
Voight said she would try to find potential cuts outside the classroom.
“Based on what we’re seeing, is, you know, [the] district office needs to see a reduction and that’s been mentioned over and over,” Voight said. “We do know the important value here is the people that are in our buildings, working with our kids every day, cleaning our buildings, feeding our students. And it’s going to be a transition.”
Robbinsdale Area School Board Member John Vento said that, realistically, the district will need to cut some teaching positions.
“We are going to be cutting teachers,” he said. “There is no way around it right now, I can guarantee you. With this number, we are cutting teachers.”
Robbinsdale Area School Board Member Caroline Long said she would not support a reduction in teaching staff.
“You sit here and you talk about cutting, cutting — we don’t even have all of our positions filled,” she said. “And even if we did have all of our positions filled, I don’t even think we would still have appropriate class sizes.”
Voight expects to bring back budget recommendations to the board on March 18.
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