The Robbinsdale school district will host a town hall tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 23) from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Armstrong High School on the “state of district finances, including the previously announced $20 million budget shortfall,” according to the district’s website.
The town hall will be led by Superintendent Dr. Teri Staloch and Chief Financial Officer Kristen Hoheisel who will “share insights into short-term planning efforts to address these challenges and introduce updates on the Reimagine Rdale: Vision 2030 initiative, which focuses on shaping the future of education in Rdale.” (Community members can complete this survey to weigh in on changes and improvements they would like to see.)
The second in a series, the town hall “continues Rdale’s commitment to transparency, open communication, and actively involving the community in creating the district’s future,” states the district’s website. The Thursday night forum will not be live-streamed or recorded.
Last November, two weeks after parents and taxpayers overwhelmingly approved a $70 million levy referendum, the district reported a $20 million budgeting error that is expected to result in deep cuts, as my colleague Tom Steward reported. School officials declined to comment on how, specifically, the accounting error occurred. According to Steward:
The budgeting error amounts to ten percent of the district’s $200 million annual budget. On top of that, Robbinsdale school officials will manage to implement just a fraction of some $17 million in cuts already factored into the district budget this year. That reality means the district will likely fall into statutory debt.
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The Robbinsdale district has experienced a steady decline in students and test scores in recent years. Also a significant turnover in management and staff.
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Many questions remain to be addressed over how such an enormous financial miscalculation happened and what comes next. The list includes budget cuts, probable building closures and believe it or not, potentially even another referendum.