Falls District Might Have a $2.4 Million Deficit

The Menomonee Falls School District may have to reduce expenditures by as much as $2.4 million in order to balance the budget for the 2013-14 school year.

Revenue projection can be played out in three different ways, which include no increase per pupil revenue from the state, increase of $100 or $200 per pupil. With this information the districts expects a revenue shortfall of anywhere from $1.6 million to $2.4 million.

Other ways to make up for the shortfall are layoffs or salary reductions in order to balance the budget, according to a presentation given to the board on Feb. 11. Layoffs would be based on student enrollment, class sizes and performance. Notices to staff would be given in late March.

If employee salaries are reduced by 10 percent the district would achieve a $2 million dollar reduction. Also, teaching staff would need to be reduced by 9.5 percent in order to achieve a $2 million reduction.

Other tools that help relieve the budget include ACT 10, energy savings, reduction of supplies and equipment. 

State aid to the district was reduced by 48 percent or $7,526,749 since the 2007-08 school-year.  

The School Board is submitting a letter to state legislators asking them to consider the impact of state aid reductions and unfunded state mandates on the district budget and operations.