Hopkins Public Schools outlines timeline to close nearly $7 million gap as transportation and federal grants add uncertainty

Hopkins Public School District officials on Jan. 28 told the school board and the public they are working through a multi-month budget process to address an anticipated budget shortfall of roughly $7 million by the time preliminary allocations are distributed.

Superintendent Mary Perry Reed said district leaders are “working together to face our fiscal shortfall this spring,” noting that enrollment is largely flat while expenditures are rising. “The challenge is real,” she said, and emphasized that the administration is “digging into” program analysis to find efficiencies that minimize classroom impacts.

The district currently projects roughly $128.9 million in revenue for fiscal year 2026 and about $135.9 million in expenditures, leaving a gap officials described as approximately $7 million. Those numbers are preliminary and subject to change when the district presents a revised budget in April and a preliminary budget for FY2025–26, officials said.

Why it matters: Hopkins leaders said they want to protect classroom teachers and manageable class sizes while reducing noninstructional costs. Board members pressed administration for details about what cuts might look like and when the board will be asked to act.

What officials said and what happens next - Timeline: The Citizens Financial Advisory Committee (CIFA) will present a set of parameters on Feb. 11, the board is scheduled to pass a resolution on Feb. 25 authorizing administration to make recommendations for program reductions or additions, and the district expects to deliver revised budgets in April with a first read in May and final approval in June. Director Chapinduca told the board the CIFA report will guide initial allocation decisions. - Staffing is the largest expenditure: Deputy budget lead (presenter at the workshop) noted most district spending is on people. The…