The Petersburg School District is anticipating a $278,000 budget deficit next school year and wants the community’s input on the budget. Like other districts around Alaska, Petersburg is using a budget simulation tool called Balancing Act, where users can give direct feedback on changes to the district’s spending and revenue.
Finance Director Shannon Baird presented the tool during February’s school board meeting.
“Some of that feedback that we’re hoping to collect even this year is comfort level with spending fund balance, things that people maybe feel strongly should be added back or kept,” Baird said. “And then the first reductions that people would make.”
Baird said the deficit figure is a projection, meaning the district doesn’t yet know what the final total will be. She said the current figure is a good estimate, but the number could grow or shrink as the budgeting process continues.
The Balancing Act tool lets community members simulate budgeting decisions like staffing levels, student fees and borough contributions to the district. As users make changes, the projected deficit grows and shrinks in response. Some budget items, like state revenue and utility costs, can’t be changed. Once the budget is balanced, community members can submit their proposed budget, with comments, to the district.
School Board President Sarah Holmgrain said during February’s Campus Connection radio show that she hopes the tool will give the community a better idea of what constraints the board faces during the budgeting process.
“There is only so much money we can actually move around,” Holmgrain said. “A lot of it is designated and must be spent in a specific way.”
The community has until the end of April to give feedback. The first draft budget will go before the school board during the April 21 meeting.
You can find the school district’s budget simulation here.
