District leaders presented a plan to trustees to reduce the 2021-2022 budget by $17.5 million in an effort to make up a $9 million revenue shortfall from the state and rising costs due to student growth.

Cost-saving initiatives under consideration include changes in operational departments, program reductions, changes to employee health insurance, and reducing campus and department budgets across the district. The plan would increase student to teacher staffing ratios in first to fourth grade to 24:1 and increase secondary student to teacher staffing ratios to 25 to 30:1. The staffing ratios for other grade levels would remain the same — 20:1 in prekindergarten classes, 22:1 in kindergarten classes and 25:1 in fifth grade classes. By increasing the staffing ratios, it gives the district an opportunity to be more efficient, but it doesn't mean that all classes will have those exact ratios.
 
Despite the addition of more than 3,000 students, the district will keep about $500 less per student in 2021-2022 school year than from 2018-2019. 

To see the entire Budget Workshop report, click here.