St. Paul Public Schools plans $1 billion budget for 2023-24 school year
St. Paul Public Schools plans to spend more than $1 billion to fund its operations in the coming academic year.
A draft budget outlined Tuesday would see the district draw $34 million from its general fund reserves to bridge a deficit that has grown by about $11 million since an initial overview was presented to the school board late last month.
Board members will review the district’s budget proposal over the next week as they hold a series of small group meetings with SPPS officials. Members will receive a finalized budget book on June 16 and are scheduled to vote on it at their June 20 board meeting.
Under the proposed budget, the district would increase its spending in four of five expenditure categories.
The district’s general fund — which goes to teacher salaries and other instructional expenses — would grow by more than $73 million to to nearly $793 million, while food service, community service and construction would also see increases. Only spending on debt service is expected to decline over the previous year.
Much of the shortfall is the result of declining enrollment and the expiration of federal pandemic relief grants, which funded scores of jobs in mental health, human resources, finance and other fields within the district.
Superintendent Joe Gothard told board members Tuesday afternoon that the district’s budget picture would have been even more grim had it not been for funding infusions from the state Legislature during its 2023 session, which are projected to generate new revenues of nearly $52 million for SPPS.
“I can’t imagine, without that kind of amount, what this task could have looked like,” Gothard said.
But Gothard and other officials made it clear that difficult decisions will have to be made next year. The district must maintain a minimum general fund reserve balance equal to 5 percent of its annual budget. This year’s proposed deficit spending will reduce that balance to 5.31 percent.
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