Robbinsdale School District To Spare IB Program from Cuts
As Robbinsdale Area Schools looks to address its more than $20 million budget deficit, the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) program has been taken off the chopping block.
District officials discovered an accounting error last fall that resulted in the budget shortfall.
“I look at this number and it’s startling,” said district CFO Kristen Hoheisel in a Nov. 18 “State of the Budget” address. “The financial realities are difficult.”
Previously, Superintendent Teri Staloch and her staff recommended the school board consider cutting the IB program.
However, during a work session on Monday, Staloch pulled that recommendation off the table.
As Robbinsdale Area Schools looks to address its more than $20 million budget deficit, the prestigious International Baccalaureate educational program has been taken off the chopping block.
“At this point on March 3, I have concerns that we are able to have the time, the planning and the ability to implement well a plan B for IB in terms of rigor and opportunities for our students,” Staloch said. “So at this point, I’m not recommending that. I am pulling that from our recommendations.”
District administrators are continuing to recommend cutting the fourth-grade orchestra program.
Meanwhile, the district has between $15.7 million and $17.7 million in cuts slated for fiscal year 2026. That’s about $3-5 million short of the $21 million in cuts needed to close the funding gap.
“I’m just going to be really honest — knowing we have this $21 million deficit, I honestly don’t know that I ever knew or believed, can we actually in four months time, can we actually get to $21 million?” Staloch said. “Is it the right thing to do right now as we’re also trying to maintain and build?”
Between $13 million and $15 million is likely to come from cuts to school staff positions.
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