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Budget shortfalls plentiful for metro area districts

Total gap tops $50 million, according to Association of Metropolitan School Districts survey.

By Anthony Lonetree

April 21, 2016 at 7:02PM

Metro area school districts are eyeing a total budget gap of more than $50 million in the 2016-17 school year, according to a survey of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD).

Topping the list is the St. Paul Public Schools, which now is working to resolve a projected $15.1 million shortfall. The Minneapolis Public Schools has yet to reveal whether it faces a deficit.

The forecast comes a year after state lawmakers and Gov. Mark Dayton agreed on a biennial budget calling for 2 percent increases on the per-pupil funding formula in both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. District officials long have argued that state aid has failed to keep pace with inflation.

Of the 40 K-12 districts represented by AMSD, 26 face shortfalls, with five districts reporting budget gaps of more than $2.5 million. In addition to St. Paul, the districts include:

Anoka-Hennepin, $2.7 million.

Bloomington, $2.9 million.

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage, $5 million.

Lakeville, $5.4 million.

St. Paul, Bloomington and Burnsville-Eagan-Savage also had to trim budgets in 2015-16.

In a news release, Scott Croonquist, executive director of AMSD, suggested the state could "mitigate the projected budget gaps by investing in special education or by increasing the basic education funding formula." The group notes, however, that no such proposal currently is on the table at the state Capitol.

about the writer

Anthony Lonetree

Reporter

Anthony Lonetree has been covering St. Paul Public Schools and general K-12 issues for the Star Tribune since 2012-13. He began work in the paper's St. Paul bureau in 1987 and was the City Hall reporter for five years before moving to various education, public safety and suburban beats.