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The Springfield Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the district’s $266.2 million 2025-26 budget Monday night after a budget planning process that included little public participation.
The budget cuts 4.48% or $3.7 million in spending, compared to last year’s budget. The upcoming year budget will reduce staffing by a net of 38.46 full-time equivalent positions, the majority of which will be licensed staff.
Springfield is facing the same challenges other local districts are grappling with, including the end to COVID-era federal funding, declining enrollment, an increase in retirement fund contributions and other rising costs. According to chief operations officer Brett Yancey, class sizes will grow amid staff cuts.
Pandemic-era staffing levels no longer sustainable
For the 2024-25 school year, Springfield schools spent $7.5 million more than they received in revenue, which they covered with their reserve funds or “fund balance.”…