The RPS School board has placed a referendum to increase funding for RPS schools on the ballot in the general election that will take place on November 5, 2024. If that referendum is approved, it will enable RPS to close the district’s structural budget deficit and will provide RPS with financial stability for the foreseeable future, absent major changes in state or federal education funding levels or an unforeseen event such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the School Board meeting on Tuesday, October 8, the School Board voted unanimously to direct Superintendent Pekel to develop a 2025-2026 general fund budget recommendation that includes reductions if the Ignite Student Learning referendum plan is not passed by voters on November 5, 2024. The budget recommendation would include:
Closing three elementary schools to save $2,304,392. The schools the administration recommends closing if the referendum fails must be identified before January 1, 2025.
Increasing class sizes at all grade levels by three students to save $5,643,396. Financial savings from increases in class size result from eliminating approximately 50 FTE teaching positions.
Reducing central office positions and non-instructional positions at the school level to save $2,381,608. This would mean eliminating approximately 20 FTE positions, including positions in the superintendent’s cabinet, central office administrators, principals, clerical staff, maintenance staff, and operations staff.
Reducing programs and positions in the four investment areas in the Ignite Student Learning Proposal to save $6,378,956. Those reductions would be made in the following categories of the Ignite Student Learning plan:
Positions that assist students who need more support to thrive
Reading specialists and curriculum
Media specialists at elementary schools
Community Schools coordinator positions and programming
The CAPE parent education and empowerment program
The Launching Emerging Adults Program (LEAP)
Project Search at Mayo Clinic
Driver’s education for low-income students
Programs that challenge advanced students and enrich learning for all students
Advanced learning teachers and services
Curriculum enhancements to deepen learning
Project Lead the Way in middle schools
Music positions in middle schools
Staff and programs at Quarry Hill Nature Center
Planetarium at Mayo High School
Services that strengthen student well-being and mental health
School counselor positions
Mental health screening
Classes that prepare students for success in vocational and technical careers
High school courses in auto mechanics, construction trades, accounting, and more
CTECH classes, including computer science, law enforcement, agriculture, pharmacy, and more
PTECH pathways in nursing and information technology
Postsecondary education and career planning software and supports.
While it is possible to identify the broad types of budget reductions that RPS would need to make if the referendum fails, it is not possible to provide the public with a detailed budget reduction plan at this time. That is because developing the school district’s budget is an eight-month process through which new information is received and analyzed, and stakeholder input is conducted. The budget process for the 2025-2026 school year has not yet started, but it will begin in November 2024.
RPS Budget Process
The RPS budget process begins in November of each year with the School Board’s review and approval of the school district’s external audit from the previous school year, which serves as the starting point for developing the budget for the following year.
The School Board approves the district’s property tax levy in December of each year, and in January, an updated financial forecast is produced.
In January, the School Board also sets parameters for the complex work that staff will do to develop a budget proposal for Board review.
In February and March, staff from the Finance Department meet with each school principal to develop and approve staffing and budget plans for the following year. These plans are translated into a budget for the district as a whole during April and May.
In June, the RPS School Board reviews the proposed budget and votes on the proposal before the end of the month.
The full resolution and board item are on our website. You can view the school board meeting at this link.
More information about the referendum can be found at www.rochesterschools.org/referendum.