$200M School Budget Proposed

The Board of Education is proposing an increased budget of 4.67 percent for the 2022 – 2023 school year. 

NHPS Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Linda Hannans presented the district’s budget request of $200,063,784 to the board Monday during its biweekly Zoom meeting. 

That request is $9,345,087 more than the 2021 – 2022 general fund budget, as student enrollment within the district has been on a decline over the past five years.

The state pays approximately three quarters of the general budget, the city the rest. The Board of Alders first needs to review and vote on whether to approve that latter portion.

The district’s current grant funds, meanwhile, have increased by $103.6 million since 2016 – 17. 

The proposed budget breakdown shows increases in the salaries and benefits for full-time teachers, admin and management, and full-time support staff. 

Contractual increases are in place for 2022 – 23 for teachers (3.5 percent), administrators (2.5 percent), and paraprofessionals (2.4 percent). 

Also budgeted are increases for non-salary expenses of transportation, utilities, and tuition.

The proposed budget would also see decreases in the overall salaries and benefits budget of full-time unionized paraprofessionals, part time and seasonal staff substitutes, overtime, and instructional supplies. Paras are getting hourly wage increases this July 1. 

Hannans also presented about several proposed new items that weren’t budgeted into the general fund’s 2022 – 23 budget request. They include a college-credited manufacturing program for local high schoolers, new reading program for K‑5, new health curriculum, a full implementation of Black and Latinx Studies, and more. All of them are grant eligible, and total $7,258,000.

View the presentation here. Hannans also provided a breakdown of school allocations and schools funding streams. 

Also at Monday’s meeting, the board unanimously voted 6 – 0 to approve the permanent appointment of Hannans as CFO.