FILE - Springfield Public Schools' headquarters in downtown Springfield.
Rebecca Hansen-White/KLCC
Springfield Public Schools says it will need to eliminate nearly 33.5 positions to balance next year’s budget. The draft spending plan was released on Friday.
Springfield School District leaders say they need to close a $7.9 million deficit. That’s on top of dozens of job cuts in the middle of the school year, and reductions at the end of last summer. The cuts include support staff, teachers, and administrators.
In a statement, Acting Superintendent Jodi O’Mara said the district is facing dropping enrollment and rising operational costs. She also said Springfield had tried to minimize the impact on the classroom, but “reductions of this scale will be felt across the system.”
If the school board adopts the budget in June, it would likely mean larger class sizes and other changes directly felt by students.
“Developing this budget has required careful consideration and difficult decisions,” O’Mara said. “At its core, this budget is about people: our students, our families, and the educators and staff who support them each day. It is also a call to action. While we have worked diligently to align resources with our priorities, a significant gap remains between what our students need and what the current funding level provides.”
The full budget is available on Springfield Public Schools’ website.
It will be presented to the budget committee on Thursday during their 6 p.m. meeting at the District’s headquarters.
Rebecca Hansen-White is a reporter with KLCC.
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