|  | Saint Paul Public Schools Announce Additional Cuts in 2001-02 Budget Reduction Plan
5/1/2001 9:25 AMDue to projected state funding reductions, Saint Paul Public Schools Superintendent Patricia Harvey today announced an additional $3.9 million in budget cuts as part of the school district’s General Fund reduction plan. The cuts include the elimination of staff positions as well as cuts to the supply, materials, travel and contract services budgets.
“While the Minnesota House and Senate have each proposed spending more than the Governor on K-12 education funding, even the best-case scenario will require the district to make cuts and adjustments,” said Harvey. “We will continue in the weeks ahead to work for adequate funding for K-12 education.”
About $2.2 million of the additional cuts will occur at the district administrative level, and $1.7 million in cuts have been identified by schools and site councils as they plan their 2001-02 budgets. All of the reductions will be included in the proposed 2001-02 budget, which goes to the Saint Paul Public Schools Board of Education later this month.
“Just as our site councils have been asked to make tough decisions on allocation of resources at our schools, we have to make equally hard decisions at the district,” Harvey added. “This change is designed to reduce the budget, streamline administrative functions and do the least amount of harm to schools and students while moving our improvement agenda forward.”
At the district level, 62.4 percent of the cuts will be in staffing reductions, 33 percent is a reduction to the supplies, materials, equipment and travel budgets, and 4.3 percent is a reduction in contract service budgets. To accommodate the staffing reductions at central office, the following shifts will take effect July 1:
• The elimination of the chief academic officer, assistant to the chief academic officer and assistant to the Area D superintendent positions
• The elimination of 18.3 special education and operations positions, of which 13.3 will be reduced through attrition. The other five will involve layoffs.
• The Curriculum and Instruction and Staff Development directors will report directly to the superintendent
• The American Indian Education, Student Interventions, student Human Rights and Out for Equity programs will report to the director for Educational Equity
• Guidance and Related Services will report to the Area C superintendent
• Instructional Media and Technology will report to the executive director of Strategic Planning and Implementation, who also has been given primary responsibility for moving forward the district’s secondary school reform initiative
• The Student Wellness, English Language Learner and Special Education departments will report to the Chief Accountability Officer
• The Excel Program will report to the Area B superintendent
The school district is projecting a $21 million deficit for the next year if the Legislature does not provide funding beyond the governor’s proposed budget for K-12 education. In March, the school district announced a reduction plan that included three Legislative funding scenarios for the 2001-02 budget year. The additional cuts are part of a plan to reduce 1.1 percent of the overall $371 million General Fund budget. The total projected budget — which includes non-general funds such as transportation, food service and Community Education — is $512 million.
Harvey noted that school district administration will continue to work with staff, site councils and members of the Citizens Budget and Finance Advisory Committee to ensure that resources are used efficiently and effectively to improve student achievement. The Saint Paul Public Schools Board of Education must approve a 2001-02 budget by June 30, 2001.
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