Fond du Lac Board approves $7.4 million in 2025–26 budget reductions, eliminating 83 positions

The Fond du Lac Board of Education voted 7–0 on April 14 to approve the district's proposed 2025–26 budget reductions, which district administrators said total roughly $7.4 million and eliminate 83 positions. Board members also approved a separate resolution to defease certain 2020 bonds and two assistant-principal contracts later in the meeting.

The approved reductions include schedule and workload changes at the middle and high school levels, a cut to a cash-in-lieu insurance benefit, scaled-back contracted services and other staff reductions. Superintendent Dr. Mark (Matt) Flagg and district administrator Mark Gerlach described the changes as necessary to address a projected operating shortfall and to avoid deeper damage to the district's fiscal stability.

Administrators told the board the district faces an estimated $7.5 million shortfall for the coming fiscal year and projected year-end reserves of about $17 million. Gerlach said those reserves are not a long-term solution and that further use of fund balance would likely require short-term borrowing that could add roughly $3.4 million in interest or borrowing costs if the district exhausted reserves and needed a cash-flow loan.

Why it matters: The cuts are designed to balance the budget without additional state revenue or a successful operational referendum. District leaders said the board must adopt a preliminary budget by June to have spending authority for the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.

Key reductions described by administrators

- Middle school schedule change: switching from a block schedule to a six-period day, reducing middle-school teaching positions by 18 and saving about $1.5 million. District staff said prep time per teacher would be reduced (from roughly 86 minutes to about 59).

- High school schedule change: moving teachers to a 6-of-8 teaching load, eliminating 21 teaching positions and saving about $1.7 million. Prep time was…