School Superintendent Justin Irish says the district is planning for a reduction of a $1.4 million deficit for the coming school year while anticipating further reductions in the 2025-2026 school year.
Irish, in a message to the community, said the district’s primary focus is to minimize the impact on students by keeping cuts “as far from the classrooms as possible.”
“Despite unanimous agreement that no reductions are ideal, our financial reality dictates otherwise,” he said.
Irish said, "Even though most of these adjustments are farthest from the classroom, it's essential to recognize the challenges and negative consequences of any role or program reduction within our district. Every reduction negatively impacts students.”
Anacortes isn’t the only town grappling with this problem. Districts large and small are dealing with challenges because of declining enrollment, increasing expenses, as well as insufficient and uncertain state funding.
Summary of 2024-25 Budget Development Decisions:
Staffing and Salary Decisions
- Reduce administrative positions
- Eliminate the Teaching and Learning Director position.
- Decrease contracted days for the Food Service Supervisor position (for the next fiscal year).
- Decrease contracted days for the Transportation Supervisor position (for the next fiscal year). - Freeze salary increases for the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Executive Director of Finance & Operations.
- Eliminate one Custodian position.
- Eliminate one Transportation Dispatcher position.
- Reduce substitute expenses for Administrative Assistants, Custodians, and Principals.
- Eliminate stipends for teachers facilitating professional learning communities.
- Reduced 0.94 Provisional Teaching Positions at Anacortes High School.
Program Decisions
- Reduce materials, supplies, and operating expenditures for co-curricular at each school.
- Reduce general budgets at each school.
- Decrease the curriculum and professional development budget in the Teaching and Learning department.
- Implement transportation efficiencies by rerouting bus routes and adjusting bell schedules at elementary schools.
- Decrease the distribution of laptops by implementing a two-to-one ratio for laptop devices in certain elementary grade levels.
- Reduce materials, supplies, and operating costs in the Communication and Public Relations department, including postage, printing, and contract services.
Irish stressed that all decisions were made considering potential impacts on students and their education experience. “The true impact hinges on variables beyond our control: the number of students who enroll, the funding we receive from the State, and the looming specter of unfunded mandates.”
"To tackle these challenges head-on, we're poised to engage with legislators and foster open dialogue with multiple interested parties, including students, staff, families, and community members. I'm grateful for our legislators' attention and collaboration; their willingness to listen and work with us at the table is invaluable. Our dedication to advocating for our students, educators, and the broader cause of public education stands firm, echoed by many within our community.
"As a united community, we can ensure that every child receives a high-quality education supported by adequate state funding. Together, we remain focused on our commitment to these collective efforts to shape this future reality."