Riverview Gardens board warned of $23 million annual operating shortfall; staff outline staffing cuts, benefit changes and closed‑session RIF planning

At a Riverview Gardens School District board work session, district finance staff warned the board that the district faces a roughly $23 million annual shortfall in its operating fund unless it makes significant budget changes.

Mr. Charles, a district finance staff member who presented the information, told the board that the district’s operating fund balance has fallen from about $31 million in 2022–23 and 2023–24 to an estimated $16 million this year — a drop the presentation tied to overestimated state revenue and omissions in the salary budget. "If we keep doing what we're doing, we're gonna spend $23,000,000 more than we take in in the operating fund every year," Mr. Charles said.

The presentation cited several causes: roughly $50 million in one‑time ESSER federal relief that the district used for recurring payroll over several years; an increase of about 200 positions over three years that raised salary and wage costs about $15 million and benefits about $5 million; an original budget that continued to use pre‑COVID attendance data for state funding estimates; and a June 2024 budget that, according to the presenter, omitted an entire group of employees' salaries.

The administration described a multi‑year plan that combines midyear reductions already implemented in supply and purchased services accounts, targeted staffing changes this school year, and deeper reductions or revenue steps for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 school years. Examples given include improving…