2024-25 Budget Reduction Summary
A message from Superintendent Dr. Justin Irish

Dear Anacortes School District families and community:

School districts across Washington State are grappling with financial challenges due to declining enrollment and increasing expenses, compounded by insufficient state funding. Our district faces similar issues, navigating the complexities of maintaining financial stability. Our fund balance is 1.3 percent, below the 4 percent threshold set by our board policy. Although the board allows a four-year window to rebuild this balance, the impact remains significant.

Based on future enrollment and state revenue projections, our goal is to reduce our budget deficit by $1.4 million for the 2024-2025 school year. This communication marks the initial step in our efforts to achieve the goal. We anticipate sharing further reductions toward meeting this goal by the end of the year.

Furthermore, without additional revenue from the state in the next legislative session, we will need to implement further reductions for the 2025-2026 school year.  

Our primary focus is to minimize the impact of budget reductions on our students. We've concentrated on reducing expenses as far from the classrooms as possible. Consequently, most cuts have affected support roles and central office staff. Even though most of these adjustments are farthest from the classroom, it's essential to recognize the challenges and negative consequences of any role or program reduction within our district. Every reduction negatively impacts students. 

Despite unanimous agreement that no reductions are ideal, our financial reality dictates otherwise. Nonetheless, every decision was made carefully considering its potential impact on our students and their educational experience. I'd like to express my gratitude to the Budget Advisory Committee, comprising parents, community members, and staff, for their valuable feedback during the decision-making process amid these challenging circumstances. Your time and effort have been instrumental in guiding our decisions.

Summary of 2024-25 Budget Development Decisions:

Staffing and Salary Decisions

• Reduce administrative positions 
  -  Eliminate the Teaching and Learning Director position.
  -  Decrease contracted days for the Food Service Supervisor position (for the next fiscal year).
  -  Decrease contracted days for the Transportation Supervisor position (for the next fiscal year).
• Freeze salary increases for the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Executive Director of Finance & Operations. 
• Eliminate one Custodian position.
• Eliminate one Transportation Dispatcher position.
• Reduce substitute expenses for Administrative Assistants, Custodians, and Principals.
• Eliminate stipends for teachers facilitating professional learning communities.
• Reduced 0.94 Provisional Teaching Positions at Anacortes High School.   

Program Decisions

• Reduce materials, supplies, and operating expenditures for co-curricular at each school.
• Reduce general budgets at each school.
• Decrease the curriculum and professional development budget in the Teaching and Learning department.
• Implement transportation efficiencies by rerouting bus routes and adjusting bell schedules at elementary schools.
• Decrease the distribution of laptops by implementing a two-to-one ratio for laptop devices in certain elementary grade levels. 
• Reduce materials, supplies, and operating costs in the Communication and Public Relations department, including postage, printing, and contract services.

Efforts to balance the budget remain ongoing as we navigate a web of uncertainties. While we've projected student enrollment for the upcoming year, the true impact hinges on variables beyond our control: the number of students who enroll, the funding we receive from the State, and the looming specter of unfunded mandates. 

To tackle these challenges head-on, we're poised to engage with legislators and foster open dialogue with multiple interested parties, including students, staff, families, and community members. I'm grateful for our legislators' attention and collaboration; their willingness to listen and work with us at the table is invaluable. Our dedication to advocating for our students, educators, and the broader cause of public education stands firm, echoed by many within our community. 

As a united community, we can ensure that every child receives a high-quality education supported by adequate state funding. Together, we remain focused on our commitment to these collective efforts to shape this future reality.

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If you have any questions or comments please email information@asd103.org