GFPS board to set budget Aug. 25, includes increased state funds; federal funding cuts
The Great Falls Public Schools board reviewed their budget during an Aug. 21 work session and discussed federal, state and local factors.
On Aug. 25, the board will be asked to formally approve their budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.
At the federal level, there’s been uncertainty, delays and cuts, Lance Boyd, assistant superintendent, said.
Typically, the district gets federal allocations in March, May and June, but that didn’t happen this year.
Multiple programs were frozen and the final federal allocation wasn’t released until 4 p.m. Aug. 1, he said, with the state not yet releasing final funding numbers.
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Four federal title programs decreased by 5.6 percent and other programs saw a flat 8 percent decrease, Boyd said.
A factor in those programs is the poverty rate and Boyd said that going into his sixth year in his current position overseeing federal programs, there were three schools that were typically considered at 100 percent poverty under the federal guidelines, but this year other schools had increased poverty levels.
Mountain View Elementary used to be seventh on the list, but is now fourth with 88.21 percent.
That “means a significant demographic shift in Great Falls,” Boyd said, but a higher poverty level doesn’t mean more federal funding.
West, Longfellow and Whittier have a 100 percent poverty level, followed by Mountain View, then Sunnyside at 87 percent, Giant Springs at 77 percent, Lewis and Clark at 60 percent and Valley View, Chief Jo and Morningside at 57 percent.
District wide, the poverty level is now 61.6 percent, up from 54.31 percent last year, which is a “significant change,” Boyd said.
The district also manages federal funding that supports the Juvenile Detention Center, Receiving Home and other programs, many of which have been reduced.
Boyd said the administration team has started discussions with buildings that are Title 1 funded as they’ll have to start looking at the prioritization of funding since they expect larger reductions over the next few years.
Beginning in October, Boyd said district officials would start prioritizing staffing since 94 percent of Title 1 funds support staffing, as required by law, by the positions making the biggest difference and “capital with kids is going to make the biggest bang” for funding and standards.
Those discussions will include teachers, students and the community, he said.
When the federal funds were initially frozen, Boyd said his biggest concern was not being able to make ends meet in a budget that was already short.
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Anticipating more cuts, Boyd said they’ll budget 90 percent of the federal funds and carryover the remainder to help offset costs, as they’ve done during other federal cuts in 2008 and 2012.
He said GFPS officials are watching Congressional budget packages as they range from five to 50 percent decreases in Title 1 funds.
For context, 79 positions from PK-12 are funded through Title 1, including 16 elementary classroom teachers across seven buildings.
“Can you imagine having 16 less general ed teachers in those classrooms,” Boyd said.
Without the federal funds, though positions would have to be funded through the district’s general fund, which Boyd said is already maxed out.
Amie Thompson, school board member, said that since there’s rules about class sizes, “you’re stuck.”
Kim Skornogoski, school board member, said that the cuts may be in name of savings, but will push the burden to the local taxpayer,” to which Boyd said, “that’s what I see.”
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Brian Patrick, GFPS’ business operations manager, said that historically, when there’s been a lot of money in schools as there was for COVID relief, there’s an immediate drop in funding, but this drop may more significant.
Jackie Mainwaring, assistant superintendent, reviewed the district’s consensus building process that started in October with listening sessions, data analysis in November, team meetings in February and efficiency reductions based on attrition.
Going into this budget, officials knew they had a shortfall and needed to make some internal decisions and asked the consensus participants to help prioritize needs.
One of those is a reduction of a teacher for the Juvenile Detention Center. The district was providing two, but one retired and that position hasn’t been filled, for a savings of $82,586.
The district contracts with Cascade County to provide those teachers and the contract that commissioners approved in June included two teachers with the cost split between GFPS and the county, but contingent on staffing.
Superintendent Heather Hoys said that one of the efficiency cuts already made is a cabinet member asked to be reduced to halftime and the district opted not to fill that other half position.
Patrick said the budget is a yearround process and going into this year’s budget they won’t have to worry what the Legislature might do, but will be implementing recent changes such as the STARS Act.
The district’s tax valuation has decreased, but since school budgets are set differently, the district can mill enough to raise the specific dollar amount it’s allowed to collect.
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The Calumet tax protest doesn’t have as much of an impact on GFPS as school districts are allowed to access protested taxes and if it owes money back to Calumet as a result of a settlement, there’s a special levy to recoup that cost paid by taxpayers.
The general fund is about 71 percent of the district’s full budget and has a 2.02 percent increase over last year.
School funding in Montana sets state funding and taxation to raise 80 percent of the need, leaving the remaining 20 percent to local taxpayers through levies.
If the district had opted to levy to reach 100 percent, it would have sought $1,241,426 in the elementary district and $1,150,246 in the high school district for a total of $2,392,672.
Changes at the Legislature brought more money into the district of $3,091,230 through the STARS Act for teacher salaries and an increased inflation rate to 3 percent equating to $1,373,273.
This budget has a $792,656 shortfall as expenses increased significantly due to wage increases.
That shortfalls are being made up by remaining COVID relief and reserve funds.
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