Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bellevue School District warns of $16 million shortfall, opens community input on cuts
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Aramaki told the board the district must cut roughly $16 million from next year’s budget and outlined a public engagement timeline, including community sessions Jan. 21–22 and a March 6 board vote on a spending-reduction plan.
Superintendent Dr. Aramaki told the Bellevue School District Board of Directors on Jan. 9 that the district must cut about $16,000,000 from next year’s spending and outlined a public engagement process before the board adopts a plan.
The superintendent said the district is already pursuing roughly $10,000,000 in cuts this year and must match next year’s spending to the revenue provided by the state. “We have to cut about $16,000,000 out of spending from next year,” Dr. Aramaki said, adding that the reductions will affect “everything,” not just central office items.
Dr. Aramaki described the district’s immediate timeline for public engagement. January will be used for community input and staff engagement sessions at every school. The district will hold community engagement sessions on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22, launch a public survey and open a dedicated email for feedback. On Feb. 6 the superintendent plans to present a draft proposal to the board; a public comment period on that proposal would follow, with a goal of a board vote on the spending-reduction plan on March 6.
The superintendent framed the outreach as simultaneous with advocacy at the state level: staff and board members will press the Legislature for additional funding, and if the state provides more revenue the district intends to restore services according to the priorities developed in the engagement process.
Dr. Aramaki also noted the district’s involvement in recent community action on school funding. She thanked board member Jane Aras and local partners — including BEA President Jill Rock and Christy Swessinger of the Bellevue Council PTSA — for coordinating an Eastside town hall on school funding the night before the meeting, which she said drew a “packed house” and strong student participation.
Board members thanked staff for the outreach plan and emphasized multiple participation options for families who cannot attend meetings, including the survey and email. The superintendent said staff will use community input and staff recommendations to shape any spending-reduction proposal and will present that proposal to the board on Feb. 6.
The board did not take any formal budget action at the Jan. 9 meeting; the superintendent framed the upcoming months as a period of work and public input before the board’s planned March decision.
Ending
The district’s next steps are a set of engagement sessions in late January, a superintendent draft on Feb. 6 and a planned board vote on March 6. The district emphasized that final outcomes will depend in part on whether the state provides additional funding.
