Between 2019 and 2020, public schools lost more than a million students. While that was the height of the pandemic, public schools across the nation are still facing its lingering effects, and their 2023-24 budgets are suffering as a result.
As more students are choosing to leave public schools, funding will continue to decline. Combine that with the looming fiscal cliff, otherwise known as “the bloodletting,” districts’ decision-making this spring will ultimately determine their financial outlook for years to come.
“It’s kind of a ‘make it or break it,’ we think, for public education,” said Director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab Marguerite Roza in a webinar Wednesday. “These are big financial shocks above or beyond what’s normal in school districts.”
As a result, districts are forced to make some tough financial decisions that ultimately disappoint teachers, students and families.
Seattle Public Schools is anticipating a “significant projected budget deficit,” per the district’s website. To be specific, SPS said the deficit has grown to $131 million. According to the district, they cite the following contributing factors associated with this gap:
- The district’s 2022-23 budget relied on $82 million in one-time funding.
- Prior budgeting solutions have been achieved through pandemic relief funds, which end soon.
- Enrollment has been declining since the fiscal year 2013-14 while staffing has increased.
- Enrollment is expected to decline even further.
“We will have to make tough choices. Our resources must match our revenue,” SPS Superintendent Brent Jones said in a message to the community. “I know these are some of the toughest topics school districts face because these are not just jobs. Real people will be affected.”
In terms of staffing, the district anticipates reducing central staff positions by nearly 11%, The Center Square reports. One cut the community fears is the potential displacement of Washington Middle School’s beloved band teacher.
According to a press release, the school’s entire music program, including band and orchestra, would be consolidated into one single teaching position. Several parents, students and teachers expressed their concerns over the budget cuts during an April 4 Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors meeting, according to The Center Square.
“I’m saddened for the students and the prospects of instrumental music education in the Central District, where educators were laying the groundwork for a neighborhood-based music program that was accessible and could be much more demographically representative of the school population,” said Jared Sessink, the director for bands and jazz at Garfield High School.
“Music classrooms are a beautiful space at school where students find a sense of belonging, safety, joy, and passion and learn how to collaborate and cooperate in large group settings. Seeing these spaces be reduced to bare bones is devastating.”
These fears are also shared among the New York City public schools community, which is also seeing enrollment declines and yet another round of budget cuts this school year, the Gothamist reports.
Last year, the district community was outraged after hundreds of millions of dollars were cut from schools’ budgets, forcing administrators to scrap arts and after-school programs.
According to Schools Chancellor David Banks, they’re looking to use $160 million of federal stimulus as they anticipate more budget cuts.
“The stimulus dollars will not last forever,” said Banks per the Gothamist. “If you have a school that had 800 students and they were funded for 800 students and now the school has 400 students, the school doesn’t get the same budget.
With budget cuts seemingly unavoidable for most district leaders this upcoming school year, District Administration’s Matt Zalaznick offers four tips for having the difficult budget cut conversation using resources from the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University:
- Don’t soft pedal. And avoid business terms such as “deficit,” “efficiency” or “productivity.”
- It’s a mistake to talk about finance and not mention kids. It’s not enough to commit to protecting schools, staff or classrooms. Leaders must be clear they are focused on students.
- Leaders must invite communities to weigh in on different options, even if some seem like bad ideas. Handing down an already-baked plan makes people feel the district is doing something to them, not with them.
- Building trust requires sharing regular, honest updates. Communication with employees and parents is an increasingly critical part of the job.
More from DA: 3 reasons superintendents want better access to data to drive their decisions
