As you are all aware, we're in the midst of a serious budget crisis. The Washington State Legislature is trying to fix the statewide budget shortfall, and we know cuts will impact education in Seattle. We currently face a $36.6 million shortfall for the 2011-12 school year, and this comes on top of more than $32 million in reduced state funding over the past two years. We will be forced to make agonizing decisions about what continues to be funded and where we can reduce spending.
When making these tough budget decisions, our priority is on preserving funding that directly impacts student success. We also want to be very thoughtful to ensure cuts we make do not tear down the foundations we have built during these past few years.
Seattle Public Schools remains committed to achieving Excellence for All. Our students can't wait for the budget situation to get better - they need quality teaching, strong leadership, an infrastructure that works well and engaged stakeholders and community members.
During this process, District leaders and School Board members will listen to concerns, keep the community informed of our recommendations and explain how cuts will impact people, programs and schools. We expect to have a final budget approved by the School Board in July, but many key decisions need to be made in the next few weeks.
During January, we presented to the Board a series of options and recommendations for balancing the budget. Right now, we are developing recommendations to reduce the District's central administrative office by $6 million to $12 million, up to 25 percent of current staffing - a cut that means a reduction in crucial support to our schools. Central budget cuts are being considered now so that we can maximize funding for schools. School budgets will be developed during late February and March. We are taking a close look at our staffing and all our programs, and we know that every reduction has an impact on our already bare-bones system.
For more detailed information, please see our budget website for the latest recommendations and information. We also encourage you to attend School Board meetings, typically held the first and third Wednesdays of every month; and budget work sessions, which are held periodically. Dates and times are posted on our website. Videos from these meetings are posted at seattlechannel.org. The next budget work session is scheduled for 4-8 p.m., Feb. 9 at the John Stanford Center.
These next several months will be challenging. The District will work hard with the School Board in making the right recommendations to balance our budget for next year. I want to assure you that we will work tirelessly to make sure every student has access to a quality education.
