The SFPS Board of Education tonight, May 10th, approved a $314.9 million balanced operating budget for FY24 that covers 74 percent of employee benefits costs, with employees covering 26 percent, and meets legislative mandates, including providing all employees except the superintendent with a six percent salary increase, setting minimum salaries for educational assistants at $25,000 and adding instructional time. In addition, the budget includes a five percent cash balance as required by Board policy.
“The fully balanced FY24 operating budget meets the priorities of the SFPS Board of Education, strengthens the district’s financial position and embraces the Board’s long-standing commitment to retaining and recruiting a high-caliber workforce district wide. By covering 74 percent of benefits costs, the Board has far exceeded state requirements, further making SFPS a destination district known for valuing employees and supporting affordable living,” said Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez.
“In the past week, with the state providing its workup of district funding for next year and employees solidifying their decisions regarding retiring or renewing their contracts, the financial pieces fell into place to balance the budget,” he said.
In addition to the 74/26 benefits coverage, the FY24 budget meets the legislative requirement to cover 80 percent of the cost of benefits for employees making less than $50,000.
New to the budget is providing more substitutes for teacher absences to relieve teachers from covering those absences, resulting in increased workloads. Beginning on August 9th, SFPS’ substitute program will be managed by ESS Substitute Solutions, an educational personnel and management firm. “This new partnership will add value to our substitutes and the district,” he said.
Current substitutes will become ESS employees, which will provide them with benefits, including weekly pay, health benefits, ongoing training opportunities, special incentives and bonus programs.
The approved budget also allows for uniform and consistent increases to all salary tables in order to avoid compaction. “For the first time in many years, the issue of compaction in SFPS is resolved and is off the table,” said Superintendent Chavez.
SFPS’ 26 licensed employee vacancies, among 35 overall employee vacancies, will be filled by displaced licensed employees. “As part of balancing the budget, we’re moving any displaced teachers into vacancies,” said Superintendent Chavez.
The only new position created for FY24 is an at-risk coordinator to further programs and services for students to thrive in alignment with findings from the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit.
“Keeping dollars close to the classroom was part of the Board’s budget discussions. Our decisions around staffing ensure that SFPS’ innovative teaching and learning programs remain intact and equitable,” said Superintendent Chavez. “Beyond a new at-risk coordinator, no staffing positions will be created at the teacher or administrator levels,” he said.
The FY24 budget continues to leverage federal pandemic relief funds for innovative programming like the SFPS Early Childhood Center, implementation of standards-based learning, work-based learning and free after-school and summer offerings. The district’s leadership in this area has been acknowledged by U.S. Education Secretary Dr. Miguel Cardona and Deputy Education Secretary Cindy Marten.
“We will work during next year’s legislative session to secure state funding to replace expiring federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) dollars. This is critical to our investment in equitable high-quality teaching and learning,” said Superintendent Chavez.