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Seattle schools staff preview allocation and staffing changes to narrow multimillion-dollar shortfall
Summary
District staff told the school board they have narrowed a roughly $100 million shortfall but still expect to dip into fund balance next year. Proposed changes include tweaks to the weighted-staffing model, a CTE ratio shift, central-office reductions and an estimated $9.5 million in school-level savings; staff said they will protect jobs through attrition and a 35% mitigation reserve.
Seattle School District No. 1 staff presented the board on a series of proposed budget and allocation changes they say will narrow a multiyear shortfall while protecting classroom employment.
"This district is facing some pretty significant financial hardships," Superintendent Scholdner told the board, framing the presentation as an update on assumptions and options rather than final decisions. Staff warned the figures are fluid, changing with legislative action and enrollment shifts.
Dr. Buttleman, presenting details of the district's assumptions, said recent state revenue reforecasting reduced the deepest cuts staff had expected but also produced several unanticipated impacts. He told the board that a change in the STARS formula for bus depreciation could reduce Seattle's revenue by about $1 million and that the district's $400,000 grant for beginning-educator support (two FTE) is at risk. Staff also said they had included roughly $2 million in their deficit estimate to reflect a new sales tax treatment of some temporary staffing services.
Board members pressed for clarification about how the district would cover those costs. Director Rankin asked whether safety-net funding intended for students with disabilities…
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