The St. Paul Public Schools board of education unanimously approved a $1 billion budget for the upcoming school year on Tuesday. An estimated $51.1 million budget shortfall is to be covered by $35.5 million in reserve funds and $15.6 million in budget cuts and new revenue under the budget.

Of the overall budget reductions, 74%, or $11.5 million, come from cuts in central office departments – 8% of the district’s total budget – including Schools and Learning, administration and operations and financial services, human resources and equity, strategy and innovation. Those departments will have cuts in staffing, contracts and vendor services, travel and supplies and service levels.

Feedback this year from the community and board members encouraged district officials to look toward central office administration when making reductions, said Jackie Turner, executive chief of administration and operations.

“And we heard that as, stay away from the schools as much as you can,” Turner said. “And I believe that the budget you see tonight does all of those things.”

Drawing from the district’s fund balance for the budget shortfall will maintain programs and services as much as possible, district officials said. They attribute the shortfall to state funding not keeping pace with inflation in the past 20 years and increased expenses. They also acknowledged that future adjustments may need to be made to the budget.

Referendum

During its May meeting, the board approved a resolution directing the district administration to prepare a November referendum recommendation for additional district revenue. Ballot language is expected to come before the board in July.

The results of that referendum and as well as changes to enrollment may necessitate future budget adjustments, according to district officials.

“But I do hope that folks in our community who had concerns about the budget and the way that we’re spending money, maybe there was something they cared about … that they will continue to speak to us if the concerns that they had bear out to be true,” board member Uriah Ward said.

Changes

While the board passed an approximately $1 billion budget last year — this year’s budget is around $8 million less — board members praised the increase in transparency this time around.

Key components of the budget are construction and debt service, said district budget chief Tom Sager. The district’s capital projects fund is $118.9 million.

Additional revenue will not only include the proposed referendum, but also potential reductions in the district’s facilities portfolio, said SPPS Superintendent Stacie Stanley.

Some changes to the approved budget since the board’s May meeting include $543,000 added from the general fund to reinstate some positions and programming in Early Childhood Family Education, or ECFE — a voluntary program for parents and their children below the age for kindergarten enrollment. Parents and community members in April had spoken against previously proposed cuts to the program. $60,000 was also added to the budget for student engagement support.

Related Articles

St. Paul Central students design a mascot to represent everyone

St. Paul’s Maxfield Elementary breaks ground on ‘community schoolyard’

SPPS: New Superintendent Stacie Stanley begins first week with district

St. Paul Public Schools narrows achievement gap in 2024 graduation rates

St. Paul schools hit pre-COVID graduation levels, state reaches record high

Cretin-Derham Hall’s Sam Udovich and Forest Lake’s Bella Leonhart will each sleep on the lead ahead of the final day of the Class 3A state golf tournament.

Leonhart shot a 71 at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids on Tuesday morning to take a one-stroke lead into Wednesday’s final round.

The Rangers senior has a one-shot advantage over Orono’s Ava Hanneman, Minnetonka’s Selena Wu and Wayzata’s Lauren Chambs. Six players are within two shots of the lead heading into what figures to be a thrilling final round.

Meanwhile, Minnetonka has a comfortable 19-shot lead over second-place Maple Grove in the team competition.

In the afternoon, Udovich fired an impressive 66 to carry a four-stroke lead into the final round. Edina’s Torger Ohe, Orono’s Dylan Kringen and Chanhassen’s Lucas Arntsen are tied for second.

Udovich’s teammate, Joe Honsa, is one of five players in a tie for fifth after recording a 71 to open the tournament.

The showings from Udovich and Honsa have the Raiders in the top spot in the team competition, though they lead Chanhassen by just one stroke. Alexandria and Rosemount are each 12 shots back of Cretin-Derham Hall.

Hill-Murray’s girls team is in third place in the Class 2A team competition after Day 1, 27 shots behind first-place Detroit Lakes. Totino-Grace senior Kaitlyn Burstad is in third in the individual competition after shooting an opening-round 75, two shots behind Pequot Lakes’ Genevieve Birkeland.

Class 3A

Two Rivers senior Taylor Taurinskas won the girls high jump title with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches. That was one inch clear of Park’s Rainna Jameson, who took second.

Forest Lake junior Alexis Fahey won the girls discus championship with a top throw of 150 feet, 8 inches, more than four and a half feet clear of her nearest competitor.

It was nearly a throwing sweep for the Rangers on Tuesday, but Buffalo’s Ryan Babatz hit a throw of 58 feet, 6 inches on his final attempt to edge Forest Lake’s Howie Johnson. Johnson, a Gophers football commit, had a top throw of 58 feet, 0.5 inches. Stillwater’s Tyler Curnow was third in the event.

Wayzata’s Maddie Gullickson won the girls 3,200 meter title with a time of 10 minutes, 26.45 seconds. Forest Lake’s Norah Hushagen was second with a time of 10:41.97, and Central’s Laura McClary was third in 10:43.32.

Sean Fries of Minnetonka won the boys 3,200 race with a time of 9 minutes, 4.99 seconds. Mounds View’s Casey Poppler finished second, six seconds behind Fries.

Class A

Math and Science Academy sophomore McKaylen Lewis won the long jump championship with a leap of 18 feet, 5.5 inches — two inches clear of Bagley/Fosston’s Ava Phrakonkham.

Lewis also shined in the high jump, where she took second place with a jump of 5 feet, 6 inches, just one inch shy of the champ, Park Christian’s Annika Aakre.