Previous Budget Correspondence

Shelton School District Families and Staff,

As you may know, like many districts across the state, we are facing significant financial challenges, primarily due to state funding that has not kept pace with rising inflationary expenses. Additionally, proposed federal funding cuts could further exacerbate this gap. As required by state law, we must submit a balanced budget — a responsibility we take seriously to ensure the long-term health of our district.

Unfortunately, this has led to difficult reductions in force. These decisions were not made lightly. We deeply value the contributions of every staff member and their dedication to positively impacting the lives of students.

These are challenging times for public education due to budget cuts at the state and federal levels. And yet, we remain firmly committed to our mission: providing every student with a meaningful, high-quality educational experience. We will continue to support our students, staff, and families, and adapt thoughtfully if expenses continue to outpace the funding we receive.

Since January, we have implemented reductions totaling $2.9 million to help manage our financial situation. As we approach the 2025–26 school year, we will prioritize maintaining essential operations and educational services that support student inspiration and growth while also maximizing taxpayer dollars through thoughtful and responsible budget management.

Thank you for your continued support, compassion, and partnership as we navigate this together.

Warm Regards,

Wyeth Jessee

Superintendent

Shelton School District

Shelton School District Families,

I want to update you on our district's financial situation as we continue to run lean given the lack of funding by the state to match the increase in operating expenses.

In our efforts to responsibly manage our resources and ensure the sustainability of our educational services for students, we have taken several significant steps this fiscal year. These measures include:

• Decreased budgets for non-staffing expenses across schools and departments.
• Limitations on the use of substitutes, extra hours, and overtime for classified positions.
• Implementation of a hiring freeze for non-essential positions.
• Creation of furlough days for principals, administrators, and the superintendent.
• Reallocation of categorical (restricted) funds to cover qualified expenses.

From the 2023-24 school year to the present, we have reduced a total of 55 positions district-wide. In preparation for the next school year, we were able to minimize the reduction in force for certificated staff to seven.

As we move closer to the 2025-26 school year, we will maintain essential operations and educational services our students need to be inspired and grow, while maximizing taxpayer dollars through trim budgets. Our district’s Strategic Plan guides our priorities as we elevate student performances and successful accomplishments.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we prioritize the long-term health of our schools. Together, we will work to ensure that we provide a quality education for all our students.

Regards,

Wyeth Jessee

Superintendent

• Shelton School District is only funded for four librarians, even though we have eight schools.

• The state gives us approximately $17.3M for salaries for basic education, but our total cost comes to $23.7M. This means we use $6.4M of the $7.2M levy dollars to cover the difference.

• On average, teachers are paid about $90k, yet the state only funds about $78k per teacher salary.

As a reminder, the most up-to-date information about the budget can be found on our Budget Realignment webpage.

Thank you for your partnership and understanding during this critical time for Shelton Schools.

Regards,

Wyeth Jessee

Superintendent

Shelton School District Staff and Families,

I want to provide you with an update on our district’s ongoing efforts to tackle significant budget challenges and outline our next steps toward achieving fiscal stability. As you know, state revenue has not kept pace with our expenses, resulting in a budget deficit. We now face some difficult decisions as we work towards achieving a positive general fund balance by the end of this school year.

Our district has been navigating these financial difficulties by implementing spending reductions, a hiring freeze, and temporary cost-saving measures. Cuts have been made to supplies, maintenance, and the District Office, prioritizing essential functions needed to operate the district. Additionally, school leaders, district office administrators, and myself will take furlough days to further support our cost-saving initiatives.

Despite these efforts, our expenses continue to outpace revenues. To secure a strong future for our students, we must take decisive action now to restore fiscal health and create a sustainable path forward. As part of addressing this challenge, we have made the difficult decision to reduce the number of support staff positions midyear.

The majority of the positions being reduced are temporary positions. Some senior support staff will be reassigned to new positions as we prioritize our students' needs. Staff members facing unemployment will receive ongoing, individualized assistance from Human Resources as they transition to new employment opportunities. This reduction is a one-time measure for this school year, aiming to save an additional $700,000 as a part of the $3 million needed to end this fiscal year with a positive general fund balance.

We assure you that, despite these cuts, we are committed to providing the best education possible for our students.

We encourage students, families, staff, and community members to visit our Budget Realignment webpage for the most up-to-date information about the budget realignment process and the steps we are taking to minimize the impact on our educational programs and services.

Thank you for your partnership and understanding during this critical time for Shelton Schools. With our shared commitment to our values, I am confident that we can navigate these changes successfully and emerge stronger, more focused on fulfilling our promise to your children and our community.

Regards,

Wyeth Jessee

Superintendent

Shelton School District Staff and Families,

I hope you are enjoying the winter break and holiday season. As we reflect on this past year, we have much to be thankful for, including our rising reading scores. As you know, revenue from the state has not kept pace with expenses, leaving us with a deficit in our budget.

Looking forward to 2025, we know there will be some tough decisions as we have to work towards a positive general fund balance by the end of this school year. As we come together to work toward change in how public schools are funded in Washington state, we will continue to navigate the challenges of budget realignment and work toward a sustainable financial future for the Shelton School District. We believe in the importance of transparency and open communication. We encourage students, families, staff, and community members to visit our Budget Realignment webpage for the most up-to-date information about the budget realignment process and the steps we are taking to minimize the impact on our educational programs and services.

We are committed to maintaining the high standard of education that our community expects and deserves and we encourage you to engage and partner with us as we move forward together.

Regards,

Wyeth Jessee

Superintendent