The Great Falls Public Schools board voted unanimously during their March 25 meeting not to pursue a levy and to restructure the district administration, cutting as assistant superintendent position.

The board’s budget committee had recommended to forgo a levy this year and instead use reserve funds from federal COVID relief funds to cover the $2,665,290 shortfall.

The board budget committee includes Bill Bronson, Mark Finnicum and Paige Turoski.

GFPS board to consider levy, budget committee recommends forgoing levy

Mark Finnicum, school board and budget committee member, said that they are watching school funding shortages statewide and the next legislative session, hoping for some law changes that will help school funding.

The committee and GFPS officials held a community meeting on March 5 to present the proposed budget, projected revenues and expenses.

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After hearing administrative options and public comment, the committee decided during its March 19 meeting to forgo asking for any additional support this year via a levy, according to GFPS.

Few members of the public attended any of the district’s public meetings on the budget and levy discussion.

By law, the board must pass a resolution with exact levy amounts not less than 30 days before the election for the clerk to certify the ballot. The resolution must include the durational limit, if any, on the levy.

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If the board were to pursue a levy, it would go to the May 7 ballot, in conjunction with the annual school board election.

Kim Skornogoski, school board member, said that AA districts statewide are facing million dollar shortfalls similar to GFPS.

She said the district’s “deft management” of Emergency and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER, money, they were able to make the budget balance without pursuing a levy this year.

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But, she said it’s important to note that the ESSER funds have a deadline to be spent and “we don’t have the federal government to bail us out next year.”

The state funding formula for education “that funding formula is just frankly broken,” Skornogoski said. “We need to see changes at the state level. If you don’t want to pass a levy, then please call your legislator and let them know that the funding formula needs to be fixed.”

Bill Bronson, board member, said that the district was in better shape than other districts in terms of finances due to the “very good management of our resources,” by staff.

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He said that had allowed GFPS to avoid some of the budgetary problems other districts were facing this year, but “next year will be a different story unless the Legislature pays close attention to the current funding formula.”

Bronson said that the Legislature should probably look at the state education funding formula every 10 years or so to keep up with realities of increased costs.

He said he Legislature should change the formula to better fund public education and relieve the burden on local taxpayers.

Looking at the budget challenges on the horizon, GFPS leadership proposed a plan to realign the cabinet to cut costs.

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The district changed their organizational structure about two years ago to have three “executive directors” that oversee education and a wide range of other district programs and services, as essentially assistant superintendents.

Heather Hoyer, who currently serves in one of those director positions and has been selected as the next superintendent, proposed to the board during their March 25 meeting a realignment of that structure.

The board approved that realignment that eliminates Hoyer’s current position and restructures those tasks under the other two assistant superintendents, Jackie Mainwaring and Lance Boyd, and other staff directors.

The change will save an estimated $162,686 by cutting Hoyer’s current position, which is about $130,000, and replacing some of Mainwaring’s salary with federal program funds as she assumes Title I duties.

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Hoyer said that there are no plans for additional compensation to the existing administrators for the additional duties and Boyd it has not been requested.

As the district completes the ESSER funding responsibilities and the Montana Literacy Grant ends, the district will be able to shift some responsibilities among staff.

Ryan Hart, a student services coordinator, is retiring and that position will be redesigned to include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs and homeless student support. That position is funded by federal programs and not the district’s general fund.

Hoyer told the school board that they believe as a leadership group that they won’t ask building administrators to do anything they wouldn’t do themselves, so “we’re going to start by recommending that we’re going to make a cut.

Paige Turoski, school board member, thanked staff for the change.

GFPS board votes to forgo levy this year [2023]

“It’s the financial responsibility of the district that I really appreciate and this is just a reflection of that,” she said.

Finnicum said, “this is absolutely sending the right message to our community.”

Bronson said the change is a show of good faith to the community and “you have found an excellent solution” to save resources for the general fund, but thought they might be a bit crazy for taking on so much work.