Budget

Duluth Public Schools is committed to transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Budget Challenges

Several factors contribute to our current financial situation:

• Elimination of federal pandemic relief funds
• Inflation costs
• Unfunded legislative mandates
• Increasing costs of special education services

Despite these challenges, we have had relatively stable enrollment and we remain dedicated to supporting every student, advancing equity, and improving our systems.

Our Approach

As we address budget constraints, we are guided by the following principles:

• Prioritizing classroom needs
• Maintaining social emotional and mental health supports
• Continuing to advance equity efforts
• Aligning funding with district priorities
• Seeking efficiencies and new funding sources

Balanced Budget Imperative

It is crucial for Duluth Public Schools to achieve a balanced budget every school year to ensure the district's financial stability and avoid statutory operating debt. Statutory operating debt occurs when a school district's operating debt exceeds specific limits set by state law. Entering statutory operating debt would severely restrict our financial flexibility and potentially lead to increased state oversight of our district's finances.

To prevent this, we are committed to:

• Utilizing a transparent and engaging process for budget reductions and reallocations
• Examining all legacy practices with a lens of fiscal accountability
• Developing and forecasting balanced budgets
• Maintaining a minimum 8% fund balance to ensure financial stability

We invite our community to stay informed and engaged. Your input and support are crucial as we strive to make the best decisions for our students and our district's future while maintaining fiscal responsibility.