St. Martin Parish Schools air plans to cover budget gap; board to continue using fund balance
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Summary
Board members discussed a growing budget shortfall driven by enrollment declines and higher charter payments. The board has voted to continue using the fund balance to support day-to-day operations while staff develops recommendations to reduce costs and prioritize capital projects.
Speaker 1, an unidentified district staff member, told the board the draft budget allocates roughly $5,000,000 of a $12 million pot to maintenance and facilities and that the district must adopt a budget by Sept. 15. "We are required to adopt a budget by September 15," Speaker 1 said.
The board discussed how to close a multi-million-dollar shortfall. Speaker 3 asked, "So in this case, what's our plan to get out of the deficit?" Speaker 1 said the board previously voted "to continue to operate in the manner and use our fund balance to continue day to day operations." That action was described in the meeting as a continued use of reserves to bridge near-term operating needs while staff prepares longer-term recommendations.
Board members debated potential savings. Speaker 4 urged a phased approach that trims higher-paid supervisory positions and redistributes duties after retirements rather than immediately increasing student-teacher ratios. "We're preparing not to replace that position," Speaker 4 said, noting a May 1 retirement date for a certain post. Speaker 1 confirmed the district eliminated or reduced some positions and adjusted a non-certified salary schedule (a reduction of $2,500 on that schedule) to capture savings.
Speakers tied the shortfall to enrollment and charter payments. Speaker 1 said the decline in enrollment produced a $700,000 reduction in Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) funding and that additional budget pressures came from amounts sent to charter schools, which Speaker 1 said rose from "1.5 this year" to "2.2 next year." Board members said a prior internal proposal had aimed to save $1.5 million but had fallen short; roughly $600,000 of projected savings had been tied to changes in student-teacher ratios.
Some trustees questioned whether personnel moves produced immediate savings. Speaker 5 said that because of accrued obligations to departing employees, "you didn't really save anything" until liabilities end. In response, Speaker 1 said the district will realize salary savings when employees actually leave and roles are not refilled.
Speakers also flagged controllable legal and administrative costs tied to a desegregation case and outside billing practices. Speaker 4 asked staff to audit charges and provide recommendations to limit unexpected fees.
The meeting produced no final new cuts or reassignments; staff was directed to bring back analysis and specific recommendations. The board must formally adopt a balanced budget by Sept. 15; until then, officials said they will rely on fund balance and targeted personnel and administrative changes to narrow the gap.
Next steps: staff will prepare more detailed cost-control recommendations and a formal allocation plan for the board to consider before the September budget adoption deadline.