Stillwater Area Schools: How Does a $10 Million Budget Deficit Become $6.3 Million?
Ray Queener, assistant superintendent of the Stillwater Area School District, writes a bit about the district's current budget-forecasting model, and outlines some of the changes district leaders are making in the future.
Over the last few weeks our communities have been abuzz with the long-awaited news that a new St. Croix River crossing will be built. It has been interesting to watch this process unfold, and even more interesting to see how the total cost estimates for the project have changed by as much as $100 million. I have also observed the variations occurring in budget predictions at the state level, where the most recent forecast has improved to the tune of a positive $320 million. Like the fluctuating cost estimates for the new bridge and the state’s changing budget forecast, our school district’s estimated budget deficit for next year was also adjusted, changing for early estimates of $10 million to $6.3 million. As taxpayers, it is easy to …
Erin Kelly
9:45 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Ray, I appreciate the difficulty of your job and am grateful there are public servants such as yourself who are willing to take on the thankless job of educating our kids. I am proud to be a parent of children in the Stillwater Public Schools. Keep up the good work. more ›