May 10, 2023
Dear MSD Families and Staff,
I am sharing some important information about the upcoming school district budget for the 2023 - 2024 school year. Our school district faces financial challenges due to declining enrollment, inadequate state funding, failure to pass the levy in 2022, and the end of federal ESSER funding. ESSER is the emergency funds given to school districts during the COVID school closures. This equates to a significant amount of money and will impact our schools.
To balance our budget, we are making some difficult decisions about where to reduce spending. Although we are still working out details, we have already made some reductions in district-level administration and educational programs.
We know these budget reductions will affect our students, families, and staff. Further reductions could mean larger class sizes, fewer elective courses, and impacts in other areas in our schools and district. We are working hard to find ways to save money without sacrificing the quality of education that our students deserve.
This is a challenging time for everyone, and I want to assure you that we are working hard so reductions do not negatively affect our students. We will continue exploring all options as we balance our budget for the 2023 - 2024 school year.
In the meantime, I ask for your help keeping our students' needs front and center. Please get in touch with your state legislators and let them know that you support fully funding our public schools.
Thank you for your continued support of our schools.
Sincerely,
Dr. Zac Robbins
Superintendent