Anoka-Hennepin schools cut millions, still need to make more cuts to meet goal
The Anoka-Hennepin School District says it has already cut more than $14 million and more than 200 staff members to address shortfalls, but they're still millions away from their goal.
Parents and leaders of the state's largest school district gathered in concerned conversation.
"Our expenses are between five and ten or more percent, that has created our situation and many other school districts are rustling with their budgets as well," said Superintendent of Anoka-Hennepin Schools Cory McIntyre.
McIntrye leads over 36,000 students and 8,000 employees and adds that enrollment has stayed stagnant.
"Even though we're the biggest, we don't have the biggest budget in the state. Other metro districts have bigger ones," said McIntyre.
In 2024, Anoka-Hennepin Schools began planning for a budget reduction broken into three phases. Phase one and two already slashed more than $14 million for the current school year, eliminating roughly 240 positions.
This week, they began talking about phase three in community meetings, focusing in on what to cut, to reduce the budget by potentially $8 million more next year.
The district is looking to make as minimal change to things like:
- Students' literacy
- Class sizes
- School safety
In total, the reductions would cut more than $22 million in current and next school year funds.
"Phase three will be decided this fall/early winter, but will be implemented next July," McIntyre added.
The community of over 250,000 that the school district serves get to voice their feedback in-person or online before the decision is made.
"It not secret so far the state has said the outyears, looking out ahead, those look like deficit years too, so we've got to get in front of that" McIntyre told WCCO.
The options presented included using COVID relief funds to having six periods instead of seven at middle schools.
McIntyre says they don't plan to close any schools.
Future meetings are as follows:
Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 6-7 p.m. at Jackson Middle School.
Wednesday, Oct.1 from 6-7 p.m. at Coon Rapids Middle School.
Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 6-7 p.m. at Oak View Middle School
Learn more about the budget reduction and realignment online.