Rochester School Board Approves New Budget That Cuts 27 Positions
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester School Board voted last night to approve the school district's $483 million overall budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Budget Includes $8.3 Million in Reductions
The spending blueprint for the 2026-2027 school year incorporates approximately $8.3 million in reductions associated with projected declining enrollment and rising operational costs. When the budgeting process began last summer, the School Board was told there would need to be $13.5 million in reductions, but that figure was largely mitigated by a significant and unexpected increase in student enrollment last fall.
School District Eliminates 27 Positions
The spending reductions approved as part of the new budget cut 27 jobs through retirements, attrition, and what the school district's administration describes as selective eliminations.
Reserve Funds Used to Support Budget
The School Board also decided to use $3 million from the school district's reserve fund, which equaled more than 17% of the school district's general fund expenditures at the end of the current fiscal year. The drawdown will reduce that percentage to about 15.7%, which is still nearly double the minimum 8% level previously set by the School Board.
Rochester School Board Approves 2026-27 Budget
The Rochester School District's general fund budget calls for just under $323 million in spending and accounts for approximately two-thirds of the entire budget. Building and maintenance spending, along with debt service, accounts for nearly $75 million of the overall budget, with almost $50 million directed to trust funds established to pay for employee health and dental benefits.
Eid al-Adha Holiday Added to School Calendar
The School Board also voted last night to adopt the school calendar for the 2027-2028 school year, which calls for classes to begin on August 23, 2027. The final day of that school year will be May 26, 2028. The calendar also incorporates an additional holiday on May 5, 2028, which coincides with the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha.
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