MSD Families, Staff, and Community Members,
The purpose of this communication is to provide an update on the status of the impacts on the school district budget for the 2022 - 2023 school year. As shared on April 27, 2022, unfortunately, both the Educational Programs and Operations (E, P, & O) Levy and the Technology and Capital Projects Levy fell short of receiving the 50% +1 yes votes required to pass the measures.
On May 9, the Board of Directors heard a presentation from Dr. Chris Pearson, Interim Superintendent, during their work study session on the potential impacts of the failed levy measures. The focus during this work session was related to the E, P, & O measure and the loss of $13.5 million in revenue for the upcoming 2022 - 2023 school year for areas typically funded by this levy. As a reminder, replacement levy measures fund the gaps in funding where the state falls short and make up 14%-18% of the school district’s overall budget.
Dr. Chris Pearson shared a presentation to inform the school board and community about the impacts of this loss in revenue. Similar information has been shared over the past several months through school and community levy presentations as the District prepared for the replacement measures. Dr. Pearson asked the school board to give feedback and direction on priorities in the reduction areas. In addition, parents and guardians, staff, and community members are invited to participate in a survey to give feedback. Click HERE to access the survey. Below are some of the actions already taken and potential future actions forthcoming:
On Friday, May 6, 35 teachers received Reduction in Force (RIF) notices. In addition, the District is not replacing retiring teachers and non-continuing contracts.
Additional potential impact areas for reductions include:
Customer Service, District Efficiency, and Communication: Reductions in the workforce at the district level will impact how services are delivered and provided in both the academic and operations areas for students, families, staff, and community members.
Student Support, Supervision, and Safety: Impacting both the workforce and service to students, reductions in these areas will be felt in the loss of student support, supervision, and school safety including security and SROs.
Athletics and Extracurricular Activities: Reductions in this area have a large range with several variables and will impact middle and high school athletics and extracurricular activities.
Instructional Materials: The planned Science and Social Studies curriculum adoption and all other potential purchases would be tabled indefinitely.
Maintenance, Facilities, and Grounds: Primary reductions in this area would be to the workforce. Staff who clean, maintain, and make repairs at our schools and facilities.
Professional Learning Support/Training Resources: Reductions in this area include resources and training tools the District uses to plan instructional strategy, prepare, and train staff to provide for and meet the needs of students academically, mentally, and socially-emotionally.
Special District Programs: Examples in this area include Early Learning, Marysville Cooperative Education, 10th Street Middle School; essentially programs that are reliant on local funding for their staffing and operations.
Transportation: Reduction in bus routes which will create longer bus rides and less bus stops for students.
The total potential reductions for the 2022 - 2023 school year, based on the areas shown, range from $11,950,000 - $14, 650,000 Million.
A second work study session to further discuss the budget impacts is scheduled for Monday, May 16, at 4:00 pm at Cedarcrest Middle School following the school’s tour and report. The meeting is open to the public and will also be streamed via Zoom.
We welcome your participation in the survey and attendance at the open public meetings. Thank you for your time, attention, and continued support for each student we serve.