The district is mindful of the responsibility to use taxpayers’ dollars wisely and consistently demonstrates strong financial accountability. Most recently, the district cut $1.4 million from its 2022-23 budget with a focus on cuts that wouldn’t significantly impact our classrooms.

Yes and the funds helped the district avoid some deep budget reductions and safely reopen school last fall with the much needed resources for our students and staff. But the COVID funds are one-time funds with specific rules and timelines and they will not help with our long-term budget sustainability.

The district will engage in an in-depth process to identify the best path forward to address a $2.7 million financial shortfall. There would be significant financial repercussions, including reductions in educational programming, staff cuts, increased class sizes, and less academic and mental health support for students at a time when they need it most. 

• An operating levy is a learning levy. The money must be used for the day-to-day operations of schools and to provide direct support to students (class sizes, academic programs, mental health supports). 
• An operating levy can’t be used for buildings, site maintenance, or facilities.
• An operating levy directly supports our students.

State funding has not kept up with the increasing cost to run schools. If funding had kept up, SSPPS would not need to ask for additional local funding. Additionally, there are services we are required by law to provide to students that the state and federal government do not provide enough funding for.

SSPPS ranks 35th out of 43 metro districts. The top districts receive almost $2,200 per student from their communities, the metro average is $1,376, and SSPPS receives just $767 per student.

The approval of question 1 allows SSPPS to maintain lower class sizes and avoid the potentially devastating impact of substantial budget reductions to programs and staff. It will also allow the district to continue providing necessary resources our students need.

The approval of question 2 will allow SSPPS to expand programs and the much needed supports such as:

• Enhanced academic, extracurricular, and career opportunities
• School-based social workers to connect students and families with needed resources and services
• Greater access to college credit bearing courses in high school

The SSPPS School Board has always been mindful of how taxes impact our community. In 2017, a community survey was conducted to understand what increase our community members could afford at that time. The board honored what our community said they could afford and asked for a lower amount knowing it was not what was needed to continue to fund the district over the course of the next 10 years.

SSPPS serves all of our community by offering programs from birth through adulthood. Furthermore, a recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that there may be a direct link between dollars spent on public schools and increased property values. So even if you don’t have children in the district, residents of all ages benefit from having quality schools through opportunities and increased property values.

The district continues to make budget reductions due to inadequate state funding and has made intentional efforts to keep those cuts away from the classroom. There are very little reduction opportunities left that are away from the classroom, so any additional reductions will unfortunately directly impact student learning and support.

In light of those previous budget reductions, the district worked to build outside partnerships in order to continue providing additional opportunities and needed resources for students.  Additionally, in 2021 and 2022 alone, SSPPS refinanced existing debt that brought $2.2. million in savings to our taxpayers. Refinancing debt is similar to refinancing a mortgage.

Each year, SSPPS advocates at the legislature to fully fund education.  SSP community members can help by reaching out to our local legislators asking them to change the school finance system to provide adequate, stable and equitable funding.  It is also critical that SSPPS, along with our community, continues to advocate for the money needed to support specific services districts are required by law to provide that the state and federal government do not provide enough funding for.