The school district has excellent resources for projecting/budgeting for expenditures; we have been very good at projecting student enrollment numbers, though this has has become increasingly difficult to do in the last few years with charters and more numerous and varied immigrants from around the country and throughout the world. What we cannot accurately account for in advance are costs outside of our control, state and federal funding, rules, regulations, and unfunded demands from outside entities -- as detailed in my previous email. So district staff do routinely project into the future, and most recently were able to run more firm numbers based on current cost info (such as for inflation, dramatic increases in health care costs, utilities, etc.) and assuming no change in either SPPS programming/services or state funding formulas. This is what generated the projected massive budget shortfall anticipated for the next budget year. (With regard to our budget reserve, we have occasionally borrowed from this, such as in anticipation of state funding that has been delayed by the Legislature, but do so extremely reluctantly since this is key to retaining our excellent bond rating.) We still retain full responsibility for the quality of education for our 43,000 students. Yet with no control over incoming students and being dependent upon the state for funding, SPPS -- like districts throughout the state -- are this year finding ourselves at a near-breaking point in our ability to deliver what these fantastic students require to be successful, and what communities everywhere have the right to expect. -- Anne Carroll, St. Paul School Board _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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