St. Paul Public Schools face a massive deficit, and cuts will be made. Do you think that the district should reduce funding for English Language Learner programs or for Special Education programs? Should the district increase fees for playing football or cut funding for varsity sports? Should the district consider going to a four-day week, as some rural districts have done, or is that an impossible schedule for working parents? You can tell SPPS what you think in an on-line survey. But that’s just one option, and there’s no place for public discussion. We encourage you to take part in a public discussion by posting your comments here on the TC Daily Planet. Take the SPPS survey, and tell us what you think about the survey questions, or other ideas that you have.
According to the district’s press release: “SPPS faces a projected shortfall of $25 million for the 2009-10 school year. About $10 million of that reflects a “structural deficit” due to declining enrollment that will continue for at least the next four years. This falls on the heels of eight straight years of budget reductions that have strained the District’s ability to meet ever-increasing student needs and close the achievement gap.”
There’s no alternative to reducing costs, but there are many different choices. Now is the time when YOU can have an impact on the choices that the district and school board will make.
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