Budget plan provides full school year, holds the line on class sizes, restores student supports, plans for future
4J superintendent Dr. Gustavo Balderas presented his proposed budget to the district’s budget committee on May 8, setting in motion the budget process for the 2017–18 school year. The proposed general fund budget is about $191 million.
The superintendent’s proposed budget plans to strengthen the foundation of educational services for students and provide stability for future years. State funding falls short of existing costs, and the proposed budget dips into reserves to maintain stability and make targeted investments to support student learning. As economic conditions and state funding for education improve, the district will be able to make additional targeted investments in the educational foundation, balance growing costs and prepare for future years.
The budget proposal for 2017–18:
- Provides a full school year, the first since 2008–09 (a full school year was first calendared in 2016–17 but was impacted by hazardous weather)
- Holds the line on class sizes, keeping staffing ratios steady with increasing enrollment and setting aside resources to balance the most oversized classrooms in the fall
- Supports full schedules for 10th grade students in addition to 9th grade
- Increases counseling support at elementary schools
- Maintains music and physical education specialist instruction time at every elementary school
- Plans ahead to balance growing costs and projected deficits in future years
- and makes a number of other targeted investments to support student learning
Aligned with the strategic plan:
The budget is aligned with the district’s 4J Vision 20/20 strategic plan, developed with the engagement of community members, parents, students, and staff to develop a roadmap for the next few years. The proposed budget was prepared consistent with the vision, goals, and supporting actions of this process:
Vision: Every Student Connected to Community and Empowered to Succeed.
• Goal I: Educational Excellence with Equitable Access and Outcomes for Every Student
• Goal II: Multiple Pathways to Student Success
• Goal III: Communication and Connection with Community
• Goal IV: Diverse World‐Class Workforce
• Goal V: Stable, Sustainable Stewardship
The superintendent presented the proposed budget to the district’s budget committee on May 8. After a series of public meetings, the school board will adopt a final budget on June 21.
Key dates include:
Monday, May 8 – Superintendent and financial services staff present 2017–18 proposed budget to budget committee
Wednesday, May 24 – Budget committee meets to complete work on the 2017–18 budget, vote to approve the budget and declare the tax rates and debt service levy
Wednesday, June 7 – School board holds a public hearing on the budget approved by the budget committee, considers adoption of the budget as an item for future action
Wednesday, June 21 – School board votes to adopt the budget
