Funding our Future: Budget Development and Balancing Process for Ensuring Student Outcomes

SPS Budget Presentation to Seattle School Board January 25

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is facing a significant projected budget deficit for the next school year. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, the Seattle School Board held a budget work session. This meeting was open to the public. You can view the budget work session recording with the links below.  

Superintendent Jones, Associate Superintendent Concie Pedroza, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Fred Podesta, and Director of Budget Linda Sebring provided an update to the Seattle School Board on the budget for next school year.

Navigate video clips of meeting topics

Presentation Overview and Agenda

2:00 Superintendent Jones provides an overview of the meeting topics.

Funding our Future

4:23 Superintendent Jones provides background and goals.

Why Now?

8:03 Superintendent Jones outlines the factors that have lead to the budget deficit.

Key Dates

34:49 Interim Deputy Superintendent Fred Podesta shares key dates and status of budget development.

Fiscal Update

37:28 Interim Deputy Superintendent Fred Podesta gives the fiscal update.

Multi-year Budget Planning Strategies

43:42 Interim Deputy Superintendent Fred Podesta defines the multi-year budget development process

Draft potential budget deficit solutions table for 2023-24 and 2024-25 is available on page 20 of the meeting materials.

• Potential central office reductions are outlined on page 22 and 23 of the meeting materials.
• Potential school-level reductions are outlined on page 24 and 25 of the meeting materials.

Budget Balancing Process

49:07 Director of Budget Linda Sebring summarized the fiscal process to balance the district budget.

A System of Well-Resourced Schools

01:46:56 Interim Deputy Superintendent Fred Podesta defines a system of well-resourced schools.

01:50:20 Associate Superintendent Concie Pedroza shares benefits of developing a system of schools with sufficient enrollment to have a broad spectrum of resource and educational choices.

This system would:

• Support inclusionary practices and services.
• Optimize resources in neighborhood schools
• Would be guided by district educational specifications
• Plan changes in the 2024-25 school year
• Center policies 0010 Instructional Philosophy and 0030 Ensuring Educational and Racial Equity
• Be guided by Racial Equity Analysis Tool to assess impacts
• Work with community and Seattle School board on guiding principles and parameters
• Apply objective and transparent parameters to identify schools in which to invest and develop
• Learn from similar processes in other districts
• Leverage SPS processes for capital planning and attendance boundary adjustments
• Design engagement and decision-making processes this spring
• Begin process this fall

Communication

02:16:19 Superintendent Jones provides overview of the information sessions 

In February, we will be hosting budget information sessions for families, staff, and community to learn more. We will be sending the event details once dates and locations have been set.  

These information sessions will be hosted by SPS Finance and district leadership to share information about the 2023-24 school year. Future engagements will provide opportunity for additional community feedback for 2024-25 budget planning.

Next Steps

02:17:50 Superintendent Jones outlines next steps for budget development.

• Information sessions in February 2023
• Continue to identify budget reductions
• Conversations with legislators regarding state level funding shortages for special education, transportation services, and other services
• Continued conversations with labor partners