Current Budget & Forecast
Budget Projections
Our costs are increasing faster than our revenue is growing. This is mainly because prices are going up (inflation) and student enrollment (revenue) has slowed, mostly due to low birth rates. Lower student enrollment = less state funding.
Keeping You Informed
February 28, 2025 Superintendent Message
February 24, 2025 School Board Budget Presentation
December 10 E-News
December 9, 2024 School Board Budget Presentation
November 26, 2024 Superintendent Message
November 4, 2024 Superintendent Message
Laker Connections, October 2024
October, 2024 Superintendent Message
Multi-Year Budget Reductions
Monitoring the district's budget is a critical and ongoing process. Since the 2019-2020 school year, we have used approximately $5 million from our fund balance, or "savings account," to present a balanced budget to the School Board.
For the 2024-2025 school year, we made approximately $4 million in budget reductions while also utilizing the fund balance to help cover rising costs. Following the outcome of the recent referendum, PLSAS is again reducing its budget to address financial challenges and maintain financial stability. The School Board has approved recommendations in alignment with what was communicated during the levy campaign. For the 2025/26 school year, additional reductions totaling $4.1 million have been identified, some of which include fewer elective options for grades 6-12, staffing adjustments, relocating MNCAPS to PLHS, closing the Twin Oaks pool, eliminating Laker Online and reducing technology. Similar budget reductions will continue to compound unless there is a change in revenue, eventually leading to Statutory Operating Debt
While these measures will have a broad impact, we remain committed to transparency and stakeholder engagement throughout the process.
Do Other Districts Have Funding Issues?
Yes. Like many school districts across our metropolitan area, we are having to manage rising costs, unfunded or underfunded state mandates and declining enrollment that is largely due to low birth rates in our state, all of which are contributing to necessary budget cuts.