Every dollar in our $600 million budget should advance student learning. Yet too often, we add new programs without evaluating existing ones or redirecting resources from what isn’t working. As your School Board member, I’ll advocate for budget priorities that put students first, with reading proficiency as our foundation for success.
Understanding the Challenge
MMSD’s budget process faces several key issues:
- Funding Gaps: The $66.4 million special education funding gap and declining state support strain our resources.
- Evaluation Limitations: We lack systematic assessment of program effectiveness before adding new initiatives.
- Administrative Growth: Administrative costs have grown faster than direct classroom support in recent years.
- Literacy Investment: Despite research showing literacy as the highest-return investment, funding doesn’t always reflect this priority.
My Approach
As your School Board member, I will:
- Prioritize High-ROI Investments: Focus on early literacy intervention, where research shows $1 invested saves $7-12 in later remediation costs.
- Implement Program Evaluation Cycles: Require evidence of effectiveness before renewing programs or approaches.
- Redirect Resources: Move funding from ineffective programs to proven approaches, particularly in reading instruction.
- Maintain Classroom Focus: Ensure budget decisions prioritize resources that directly support teaching and learning.
- Increase Transparency: Make budget information more accessible and understandable for community members.
Smart Spending for Student Success
Budget decisions reflect our values and priorities. By investing in evidence-based reading instruction, high-dosage tutoring, and classroom resources while carefully evaluating all spending, we can maximize the impact of every dollar. When students read proficiently, they succeed across all subjects, reducing costly interventions later in their educational journey.