Bloomington School Board approves $5 million budget adjustment for 2026-27 school year
The School Board formally adopted the Strategic Choices for a Sustainable Future plan to reduce the district’s at its Jan. 26 meeting. The following measures were approved and will take effect next school year unless otherwise noted:
- Increase student walk areas by .50 and .75 miles for elementary and secondary students, respectively. A proposal to change school start times will be delayed to the 2027-28 school year.
- Move middle schools to a 6-period day schedule
- Elementary school staffing ratio increase (not class size)
- Multiple district/ESC department reductions through attrition and optimized resource planning to better align staffing and services with student needs.
ԹϺ held community information sessions in December to gather feedback on budget options. Nearly 600 families, staff members, and community members shared input through a survey. That feedback helped shape the budget adjustments that were presented to and approved by the School Board.
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to share input,” said Superintendent Dr. Eric Melbye. “This level of involvement strengthens our decisions and reflects the pride our community has in its schools, even in challenging economic times.”
As district leaders put these changes in place for next school year, they will also begin planning for an additional $5 million in budget reductions for the 2027 to 2028 school year, as directed by the School Board. The final budget for the 2026 to 2027 school year will be approved by June.