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Learning and Leadership division presents $368,658 reduction; board presses for detail on small line-item cuts and assessment costs
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Summary
Chief Tracy Blackburn presented a Division of Learning and Leadership FY27 budget showing a $368,658 decrease and continued investments in instructional materials and the K–10 universal screener; board members asked for breakdowns of small reductions and confirmation of what costs are new versus consolidated.
Tracy Blackburn presented the proposed FY27 budget for the Division of Learning and Leadership, reporting an overall decrease of $368,658 from the previous year and a focus on strengthening core instruction and supporting teachers.
Blackburn detailed targeted reductions across assessment, accountability, gifted and intervention programs, athletics and school leadership stipends while flagging continued investment in curriculum materials, CTAE equipment and data systems. "The FY27 proposed budget for the division of learning and leadership reflects a continued commitment to strategic alignment and fiscal responsibility," she said.
Board members pressed for details after several line items appeared to show small dollar reductions (examples cited at the workshop included a $400 reduction for conference registration and a $7,000 reduction in a program salary). One board member said the amounts "don't look like a whole person" and asked how the figures were derived. Blackburn and Dr. Bradley replied that teams reviewed actual spending, consolidated items that had been split across budgets last year, and aimed to identify savings that would not "impact the integrity of the programming." "School leadership budget was cut by 10%... so some of our budgets were not cut by 10%, but a lot of them were," Blackburn said.
Board members also sought clarity about the K–10 universal screener line (listed as $792,000). Blackburn explained the cost is a flat rate covering universal screening, the intervention platform, teacher resources and the 'myPath' component for students receiving interventions, and offered to provide a breakdown of how much of the $792,000 represents new costs versus amounts previously budgeted across two lines.
Blackburn emphasized there are no new positions or budget-neutral additions in the division and that the division is prioritizing resources closest to students. Staff committed to return with requested line-item detail and clarifications about program-level impacts.
Next steps: staff to provide the board a breakdown showing which items were consolidated, which are recurring, and what proportion of listed costs are new versus moved from other budgets.
