Prior Lake‑Savage board weighs $4.5 million in cuts, directs fund‑1 staffing analysis

Members of the Prior Lake‑Savage Area Schools governing board spent the bulk of a meeting reviewing proposed budget reductions and how the district counts and classifies staff, then directed administration to prepare a narrower, Fund 1 organizational report before the next round of budget decisions.

Board discussion centered on roughly $4.5 million in proposed reductions laid out by district staff. Director Atkinson said she categorized the proposed cuts into three buckets and found about $3,000,000 — roughly 73% — would come from teachers and programs, about $672,000 (16%) from efficiencies, and about $439,000 (11%) from administrative reductions. "I don't support cuts that impact our teachers and our students in the classroom directly," Atkinson said.

The board pressed administration on how positions and titles are tracked. Director Herman, who led a supplemental presentation, said the district's historic personnel reports are limited by the older Skyward system and that the business office and human resources are building improved position control in the new Skyward release. "With the mandatory upgrade to the new Skyward, we are…