What has the District done to-date to reduce expenses? 

During these trying financial times, the District has analyzed every budget and expense. 

The District made $1.5 million in reductions in advance of the 2024–25 school year: 

• Reduction of staff including, administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, buildings and grounds, support staff, school nurse, and school resource officer. 
• Reduction of department budgets 
• Reduction of athletic department budget 
• Reduce transportation and technology 
• Reduction of buildings and grounds budget 

In addition, student fees have been increased to generate additional revenue. 

Byron voters passed a building bond in 2021 to build classrooms, renovate the Community Education Center building that houses our preschool, and add to our activity/athletic facilities in the stadium, baseball/softball fields, the Performing Arts Center and the District office. These updates will serve the community for generations. 

A bond is different than an operating levy. The money that is passed in a bond can only be used for building additions and improvements and cannot be used for the day-to-day operations of the District. However, improvements made by the bond are saving the District money with more efficient and energy-saving systems. 

District leadership will need to make even greater cuts to balance the budget. 

This will: 

• Increase class sizes at all levels 
• Reduce support services for students 
• Eliminate course offerings 
• Reduce or eliminate extra-curricular programs, activities, and clubs

The proposed levy increase will generate an additional $1.9 Million to support district operations.

Passing this referendum will:

• Ensure class sizes are conducive to learning
• Maintain programs and services for students
• Retain staff
• Offer electives and courses that prepare students for life after high school
• Provide needed programming for students that need additional academic and emotional support
• Maintain and enhance the excellent programming and experiences that distinguish our district
• Ensure enough cash reserve to eliminate the need to short-term borrow (which costs the District money in interest)

Between last spring and this summer, the Byron School District made several budget adjustments to meet the financial requirements for the 2024-25 school year. These adjustments included a variety of reductions aimed at aligning the budget with the district's goals and priorities. While some reductions are sustainable and will continue in the long term, others are temporary and will only be in effect for the 2024-25 school year. Here is a LIST detailing the specific budget reductions, along with explanations regarding their sustainability and impact on the district.

At first, this information was not given to us by the County.  We have added the townships as polling place on our website.

The former business director's approach was to reconcile accounts later in the fiscal year, which resulted in delayed financial updates. After he left, we recognized the need for a more timely and transparent process. The board was subsequently informed that we would be partnering with Region V to handle our financial reconciliations, beginning with the 2023-24 school year and moving forward.

We have since updated our procedures to ensure that all financial information is provided to Region V at the end of each month. This change allows for monthly financial updates to be included in the information shared with the board. However, because the reconciliation process requires the previous school year's accounts to be fully closed, there is a delay in sharing the financial updates for July, August, and September. Once the prior year’s reconciliation is complete, we will be able to provide these monthly updates more promptly.
 

By law, once contracts are signed, we cannot reopen negotiations. However, we have actively engaged with the Byron Education Association at various times, and they have been involved in the problem-solving process as we navigate our financial challenges. We value their input and will continue collaborating with them to work toward the district's financial stability. The next round of contract negotiations for all employee groups is scheduled for this summer, where we will further discuss ways to support our staff while addressing the district's financial needs.

While we are still awaiting the final numbers from the 2023-24 school year, it's important to note that the budgeting error, where the adopted budget figures were not properly transferred to the revised budget, is not the primary cause of any financial deficits. The salary settlements given to staff were often below the typical settlements provided by other districts in our area and the state.  Several other factors have had a more significant impact on our budget. Additionally, we experienced two consecutive years of higher-than-normal insurance rate increases and faced a loss of revenue with the end of COVID-related funding.

Looking ahead, our district will need to address challenges such as slower enrollment growth compared to previous years, inflationary cost increases for services, and the potential burden of unfunded state mandates. It's also worth noting that financial concerns are not new for Byron; the district has had three operating levies over the past 20 years, reflecting ongoing efforts to manage our financial situation.
 

This summer, the Byron School District formed two advisory committees to review and discuss possible budget reductions if needed. One committee consists of staff members, and the other is made up of community members, with about 14 participants in each. Additionally, two board members and two administrators serve on each committee. The role of these committees is to provide input and discuss the potential impact of reductions on students, staff, and the community. While these committees help ensure the voices of staff and the community are heard, they do not make the final decisions.

After the results of the referendum vote on November 5 are known, the district's leadership team will meet to consider any necessary reductions. This team will then make recommendations to the school board, which will ultimately decide on the course of action. The decision-making process remains consistent, regardless of the referendum's outcome
 

If the referendum for $800 per student passes, it will help increase our fund balance to meet the 8% target established by the board's policy. This additional funding would enable the district to address the financial challenges we discussed earlier, such as rising costs and slower enrollment growth. Passing the referendum would also significantly improve our financial stability by moving us further away from a negative general fund balance, putting the district in a stronger position to manage future financial needs.

During our discussions about potential budget reductions, various ideas have come up, including eliminating certain electives or even the block schedule altogether. While such changes could result in cost savings, they would also mean significant sacrifices, including the loss of many electives, instructional time, and practices that are essential to our Profile of a Graduate. The block schedule has been a foundational part of Byron's educational approach for many years, so shifting away from it would require substantial adjustments by both teachers and administrators to accommodate a new schedule structure.