Drop in Student Enrollment Impacting Charles City Schools Budget

With Spring Break over, it’s back to school this week for the Charles City School district. And, back to working on budget cuts for the 2024-25 fiscal year. 

Superintendent Anne Lundquist notes the district has overspent by about $1.15 million in the current school year and can’t afford to do the same for next school year.

Lundquist says those numbers impact the school “solvency rate,” which started the 23-24 fiscal year at 15 and is currently at 11. If the district does nothing, the solvency rate will dip to under five.

In January 2023, the school district made staff reductions as part of an effort to offset an over $600,000 budget shortfall. Lundquist says there are no staff cuts planned this time around. Instead, they’re looking to tighten spending across the district to save about $900,000.

The biggest reason for the budget adjustments is declining enrollment, which has not been the norm for the district.

With school budgets based on student enrollment, a school district loses $7,600 per pupil that leaves for another school, which is then the recipient of that $7,600 in their budget.