Board hears $21 million deficit and approves new bell times and expanded walk zones to reduce transportation costs

Robbinsdale Area Schools Superintendent Stallo and CFO Kristen Hoheisel told the school board on April 7 that the district faces an estimated $21 million budget deficit driving broad staffing and service reductions across the district.

Stallo and Hoheisel described statewide pressures — inflation, unfunded mandates and rising student needs — and said Robbinsdale’s situation is compounded by declining enrollment and previously unimplemented reductions from last year. Hoheisel told the board that the fiscal picture includes both short‑term steps and longer‑term structural work; she outlined proposed reductions totaling roughly $15.7–$17.7 million and said those proposals do not fully close the $21 million gap.

As part of the short‑term plan, the administration proposed changes to transportation that would reduce costs. Hoheisel described proposed changes to elementary walk zones (from 0.5 to 0.8 miles at many schools) and middle school walk zones (from 0.7 to 1.0 mile at many schools) and proposed changes to bell times intended to align schedules and reduce bus routes. Staff estimated consolidated transportation changes plus other measures could yield about $728,000 if implemented as proposed: roughly $264,000 from a change in Minneapolis transportation contracts already negotiated, about $27,000 from consolidating activity bus runs, with the balance from altering bell times and other adjustments. The district’s total transportation budget is roughly $18 million.

The board split votes on the proposals. On a roll call vote the board approved the proposed bell time changes (5‑2). The board then approved proposed walk zone changes in a unanimous roll call vote.

At the meeting CFO Hoheisel and other administrators emphasized service‑level impacts: principals will receive lower full‑time equivalent allocations, leading to larger classes in some grades, reduced allocations for some non‑classroom staff and use of multi‑age classrooms at a small number of elementary sites. Hoheisel said principals retained discretion to allocate building FTE in ways they judge will best support their school improvement plans; she said some principals prioritized teacher‑specialist positions (teachers on special assignment) while others used allocations differently.

Board members asked whether the transportation changes would drive open‑enrolled families away and whether savings from consolidation would outweigh lost revenue; administrators said they had surveyed families in affected schools and contacted families they believed might be affected and that staffing changes were sized on conservative enrollment assumptions. Several board members pressed for additional outreach and for follow‑up work sessions before implementing the largest schedule changes, while others said the transportation savings were needed to preserve staff positions.

Administration said they would return with more details and that additional implementation steps (walk zone exceptions where pedestrian safety concerns exist, further communications with families, and operational timelines) would be developed and reported to the board.