District leaders who build community engagement into the budget process are more likely to maintain support during difficult spending cuts.
Budget shortfalls rank among the top three concerns for K-12 superintendents. Amid declining enrollment coupled with inflation, leaders are working to maintain/enhance services to attract and retain families while also planning for long-term downsizing, according to Lydia Rainey, principal researcher at the Center on Reinventing Public Education.
Politically savvy leaders don’t wait until after a decision has been made to address community opposition, her latest research argues. They are also transparent about what they plan to protect.
In the 14 districts studied, leaders publicly supported preserving staff and programs that support marginalized students.
“These priorities signaled that some cuts were off the table,” the report reads. “When districts have stated commitments, they eliminate wishful thinking on the part of staff or families.”
Be upfront
Leaders shouldn’t dismiss the severity of their district’s financial outlook. Those who explained the magnitude of budget deficits to the community had an easier time making cuts, the study found.
For instance, the superintendent of Indiana’s Monroe County Community School Corporation discussed his district’s financial outlook at more than 200 listening sessions with staff, families and community member.
The school board provided multi-year projections, quarterly reports and a website that clarified how the state’s “complex funding system” impacted district finances.
Leadership also acknowledged that deficits could not be resolved without school closures and staff cuts.
“Leaders ensured that no one was surprised when strong actions were proposed, and that the broader community, not just the most engaged groups, had the facts,” according to the report.
Administrators were also successful when they communicated how their decisions would impact the district’s return on investment.
Districts also hired third-party consultants to gather data and determine where cuts were needed, according to Rainey.
“It brought legitimacy to the process having a third party come in and say, ‘Here’s what we were able to find,'” she says.
Ultimately, the districts that merged political and financial strategies had the most success making budget cuts. Administrators must be eager to collaborate with their community, says Rainey.
“Think about some of the ways you can maintain the services you need and do it responsibly,” she says.
When a budget decision draws fire, the districts that keep public trust are the ones that can show exactly whose input shaped the call and when. Grab a 14-day free trial of DA+ to get our Public & Community Input Tracker
