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East Allegheny SD outlines budget adjustments as enrollment fell 17% since 2017
Summary
Superintendent described a 17% enrollment decline since 2017 and detailed measures to control costs, including 'capturing' vacancies, reallocating staff to targeted reading and math supports, and continuing flexibility to restore positions if enrollment rises. The district also reported food-service revenue pressures and plans to issue an RFP for security services.
The district’s superintendent told the board the district lost 284 students between 2017 and 2023, a decline she characterized as about 17 percent, and said that staffing had increased by seven full-time equivalents in that period, an imbalance the administration now seeks to correct.
“We have to look at ways in which we can do this meaningfully and reasonably,” the Superintendent said, summarizing the administration’s budget approach for the coming year. She said the district will ‘‘capture’’ positions when employees retire rather than automatically refilling every vacancy, and will reallocate existing staff to provide more targeted supports in reading and math at schools such as Logan Elementary.
A staff member giving a food-service and budget update said the district budgeted enrollment at 1,390 but counted roughly 1,300 students as of February, and that cash‑sale revenue for cafeterias has fallen. The presenter said USDA commodity donations lower food costs but that delivery charges apply; the state requires using a reimbursement assumption of $0.30 per meal for budget calculations, while the district’s actual per‑meal usage is closer to $0.55.
The superintendent said the district will prioritize targeted support roles for students showing gaps in numeracy and literacy and monitor the effects of those reallocations, with administration reports returning to the board during the year. She emphasized that if enrollment increases sharply, the district would move staff back into traditional classroom assignments.
On staffing alternatives, the superintendent told the board some retirements this year were handled by capturing (not refilling) positions, and said that approach is part of the district’s larger effort to align personnel costs with declining enrollment. The district did not provide a complete list of positions to be held vacant or the expected dollar savings; that information was described as part of internal budget planning and not specified in the meeting record.
The staff member also said the district will issue an RFP to solicit competitive bids for security vendors after concluding in‑house security is not currently feasible because of payroll, health‑care and retirement costs.
The board did not take a formal vote on any budget reductions during the meeting; the superintendent said follow‑up administrative reports will track implementation and outcomes.
