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
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
2024-25 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 must again enter a budget-reduction process to address financial challenges. The district will focus on implementing reductions and cost-saving measures to maintain financial stability.
The administration has begun evaluating potential reductions, focusing on strategies shared during the levy campaign. The district anticipates reductions of $4 million to $5 million for the next budget. 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.