Minneapolis Public Schools could face more budget cuts next year

The strike may be over, but Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) is still faced with tough decisions. Teachers gathered outside district headquarters Tuesday evening to protest potential cuts at the classroom level. 

According to an informational presentation made by the MPS Board of Education earlier this month, the district needs to make about $27 million in cuts for the 2022-2023 school year. 

According to the district, the shortfall was caused by various factors as the new teacher contract and a loss in enrollment. One scenario calls for reducing department budgets by 5%, and adjusting individual school budgets.

Greta Callahan, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, says if cuts have to be made, they should happen at the top administrative level and not close to students at the individual school level.

“Now our principals are left to make some really heart-wrenching decisions, and they harm all of our students like cutting music or cutting hourly employees on-site,” she said.

A spokesperson for the district says they are not commenting on this topic at this time. At one point, the school board was hoping to have the first reading of the district’s budget in May and have it finalized by June.