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USD 453 presents $142K budget gap, building budgets cut 30% and staffing reductions expected
Summary
District staff presented a 2026–27 budget reduction plan outlining a roughly $142,000 gap, a proposed 30% reduction to building budgets, and an estimated reduction of about 33 staff positions across administration, certified and classified categories; health insurance is in year three of a self-funded contract.
District finance staff told the board April 13 that Unified School District 453 faces a preliminary net reduction target of about $142,000 for the 2026–27 fiscal year.
Mr. Cifford, presenting the budget reduction update, said district revenue projections are unchanged but projected expenses have increased; the reductions outlined include maintaining five administrative staff (noted as a 14% reduction figure in the presentation), certified staffing at 13 (just under 5%) and classified staffing at 15 FTE. "We are looking at, I believe, 33 less good men and women working in our district next year," Cifford said in the presentation, a figure he used to estimate staffing impacts. The board also reviewed a 30% reduction applied to building budgets for FY2027.
Health insurance: The district remains in a three-year, self-funded insurance arrangement; staff said the plan is tracking to the budgeted 6% increase for the year and does not currently present additional unbudgeted pressure.
Teacher support: Board members reported the Leavenworth Education Foundation will provide an educator bonus for classroom use (the presentation referenced an amount of $100 per classroom); the board also discussed enrollment, communication with families and reliance on community groups to help fill emergent supply gaps caused by budget reductions.
Public engagement and next steps: The board publicized a community forum scheduled for April 14 focused on the budget. Board members repeatedly emphasized minimizing harm to students and preserving classroom services where possible; several asked staff for specific implementation plans and external-decision dependencies (insurance finalization, compensation negotiations). Staff said a few larger budget items remain to be finalized — notably health insurance and property/casualty estimates as negotiations and contractor quotes are completed.
Why it matters: Personnel costs account for roughly 80–85% of district spending, so staff reductions and building budget cuts are likely to affect classroom supplies, field trips and other school-level discretionary spending. The board flagged that teachers and community partners may be asked to help bridge some shortfalls while staff finalize implementation plans.
