Family February 2025 Knight Line

Public Schools Week, February 24-28, is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the incredible work happening at STMA and the profound impact of public education.

To highlight the value of public education, we asked staff to share their stories by answering:
Why do you work at STMA? What makes our schools, students, and colleagues so special?

Read the inspiring responses here!

Executive Director of Business Services Kris Crocker shared a revised FY2025 budget with the school board at a work session on February 3. The updated FY2025 budget shows a deficit of $1,269,271 with a fund balance of 19.05%. Surpassing the 12% minimum target outlined in School Board Policy 714 Fund Balance, this 19.05% fund balance signifies excellent fiscal management and accountability, reflecting prudent financial planning. The board approved the revised budget at its regular meeting on February 3.

A five-year financial forecast for FY2025 through FY2029 was shared with the school board on February 3 and the Finance Advisory Committee on February 25. There are important points to note from this financial forecast.

1. The fund balance for this year, FY2025, is above the 12% minimum target per School Board Policy 714 Fund Balance.

2. The projected budget for next year, FY2026, shows a deficit of $3,715,758, which is a fund balance of 13.63%. This is above the 12% minimum target per School Board Policy 714 Fund Balance.

3. Looking ahead to FY2027 through FY2029, fund balances are projected to fall well below the 12% minimum required by school board policy. As a result, beginning in spring 2026, significant staff reductions—estimated at $1.5--2.0 million—will be necessary to maintain the required fund balance.

With fund balances projected to fall below the minimum required by school board policy in FY2027, significant staff reductions will be necessary. To address this, we presented the following recommendations to the Finance Advisory Committee and admin team. The school board will take action on the recommendations on March 3.

• Maintain current staffing levels for FY2026, with no cuts but also no additional positions.

• Implement budget reduction strategies immediately.

• Enforce a hiring freeze for FY2026, except as required by statute.

• Prepare for significant staff reductions in FY2027.

• Explore additional revenue-generating options, such as an operating levy or bond.

Next steps are listed below. Please see the budget timeline for additional information.

• School Board Budget Work Session---February 3

• Finance Advisory Committee and Admin Team Feedback---February 25

• Administrative Budget/Staffing Meetings---February

• School Board Budget Work Session---April 7

• Finance Advisory Committee Meeting---April 10

At STMA, we prioritize our students and value their voices. Their insights are both powerful and essential in shaping our schools. To better understand their experiences, perspectives, and ideas, we host student forums three times per year at each of our eight buildings, totaling 24 forums annually.

Trimester Two Student Quotes:
📣 “I would rate this school 1,000,000 stars!” – AP student
📣 “All the teachers are kind, really nice, and help us.” – BW student
📣 “Staff are really kind and good.” – FE student
📣 “Teachers are calm and help us push ourselves through hard things.” – STME student
📣 “Teachers care about us and are really nice.” – ME student
📣 “Teachers help me when I don’t understand or am having a bad day.” – MW student
📣 “My teacher always asks about me and is interested in my life outside of school.” – HS student
📣 “I wasn’t going to graduate, and now I am.” – KA student

💙 Read more about student experiences here.

This March, our students are focusing on the Character Strong trait of cooperation—working together to achieve shared goals. Cooperation is an essential life skill that helps build strong relationships, encourages teamwork, and fosters problem-solving.

Here are some simple ways to explore cooperation together:

• Start a Conversation – Ask your children, “What is one way we can practice cooperation as a family?” Discuss times when working together has led to success and how teamwork makes everyday tasks easier and more enjoyable.

• Celebrate Cooperation – Look for moments when your children collaborate, whether it’s helping a sibling, cleaning up together, or making decisions as a team. Acknowledge and praise these efforts to show that cooperation makes a difference!

By practicing cooperation, we can help our learners strengthen this important skill in school and at home. Thank you for partnering with us in fostering positive character development!

We are excited to announce the final substitute teacher and substitute support staff training date for the 2024-2025 school year. This training is essential for all new and returning substitute teachers and substitute paraprofessionals to ensure they are well-prepared and supported in providing high-quality instruction and support for our students.

The remaining training session will be held on April 15, 2025. The session will run from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. in the boardroom, located at STMA Middle School West (enter via door B).

We encourage all substitute teachers and substitute paraprofessionals to mark their calendars and attend! Your participation is key to maintaining the excellent learning environment we strive to provide at STMA.

Thank you for your continued dedication to our students and schools!

02-03-2025 WORK SESSION

The Board held a work session to discuss the district’s budget and advertising.

02-03-2025 REGULAR MEETING

Trimester 2 District Office Art

The following students were recognized for having their artwork chosen for display in the District Office from February-May. A statement was read and the students were presented a certificate:

Aubrey Diamond, Clara Simonds, Piper Huberty, Abeiku Asmah, Lola Cota, Layla Elsenpeter, Ally Vang, Waylen Foster, Elena DeWenter, Kieran Webb, Emma Formo-Reck, Bella Myslicki, Hannah Zipp, Isabel Petite, Jack Johnson

The Board took action on the following items:

FY2026 Long-Term Facilities Maintenance Budget

FY2025 Revised General Fund Budget

FY2026 Bright Beginnings Tuition Rates

Memorandum with EM-STMA for Community Education

Principal Seniority List

Certified Staff Seniority List

Discussion on Superintendent Review of Goals and Objectives

02-18-2025 REGULAR MEETING

Trimester 2 Superintendent Student Forums

Superintendent Dr. Foucault shared about her recent student forums held in each building.

The Board took action on the following items:

American Indian Parent Advisory Committee Vote of Concurrence

District Policy 714

All Board meetings take place at 6:00 pm in the Boardroom at Middle School West, Door N.