School District Annual Reductions in Budget Increases

Doug Erickson:

Madison School District administrators are scheduled to announce today their recommendations for millions of dollars in program and staff cuts, a grim step in a budget process that typically consumes the School Board's attention each spring.

Larger class sizes at the elementary level and bigger caseloads for special education teachers likely will be among the proposals.

Consolidating schools on the city's East Side also is a strong possibility - parents there already are mobilizing to beat back the idea - although district officials would not confirm that such a proposal will be part of today's announcement.

The district's most recent budget forecast in January put next year's shortfall at $10.5 million. That number was being refined Thursday but is in the ballpark, district officials said.

Related:

• Concessions in advance of negotiations.
• Citizen's version of the MMSD's $333M+ budget for our 24,342 students
• Beth Swedeen on why this year is different for state funding.
• Madison Superintendent Art Rainwater on Budget Season
• Doyle budget maintains status quo by Joe Quick
• Peter Gascoyne:

  "[Ask] what is the best quality of education that can be purchased for our district for $280 million a year. Start with a completely clean slate. Identify your primary goals and values and priorities. Determine how best to achieve those goals to the highest possible level, given a budget that happens to be $40 million smaller than today’s. Consider everything – school-based budgeting, class sizes, after-school sports, everything."
  

• Channel3000: Parents Respond to Proposed East Side School Closings

The MMSD's budget increases annually. A variety of perspectives on enrollment, spending and staff history can be found here.

Those interested in school finance might check out Monday's brown bag lunch meeting "Financing Quality Education".

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 9, 2007 6:15 AM
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